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Social  Service  Series 


Bulletin  Number  20 


Knowing  One's   Own    Community 


Suggestions  for  Social  Surveys 
of  Small  Cities  and  Towns 


SECOND    EDITION 
REVISED    AND    ENLARGED 


•By 

Carol  Aronovici,  Ph.  D, 

Director  of  the  National  Bureau 
of  Municipal  and  Social  Service 


Published  for  free  distribution 
merican     Unitarian     Association 
25  Beacon  Street,  Boston 


SOCIAL  SERVICE   BULLETIN 

The  purpose  of  the  Bulletin  is  to  offer  suggestions  for 
the  conduct  of  work  for  the  common  good  in  our  churches, 
and  also  to  give  circulation  to  articles  of  value  on  different 
phases  of  the  social  question, — some  original  contributions, 
and  others  reprints  from  the  magazines  and  the  reports  of 
various  societies. 

They  are  primarily  intended  for  free  distribution  and  are 
gladly  sent  wherever  they  can  do  good.  Owing,  however, 
to  the  expense  at  which  they  are  prepared,  the  right  is 
reserved  to  make  a  nominal  charge  of  two  cents  each 
(except  No.  20,  which  is  five  cents)  in  cases  where 
Bulletins  are  desired  for  use  as  text  books  or  for  distribution 
in  quantity.  Any  orders  of  this  sort  will  be  cheerfully 
filled  at  the  prices  named,  which  include  delivery. 
No.  1.  The  Social  Welfare  Work  of  Unitarian 

Churches. 

The  report  of  an  investigation. 
No.  2.     Working  with  Boys.     By  Rev.  Elmer  S. 

Forbes. 

Hints  on  the  organization  and  conduct  of  Boys'  Clubs. 
No.  3.  The  Individual  and  the  Social  Order  in 

Religion.     By  Rev.  Frederic  A.  Hinckley. 
Individualism  and  socialism  reconciled  by  religion. 
No.  4.     A  Remedy  for  Industrial  Warfare.     By 

Charles  W.  Eliot. 

The  Canadian  Act  for  maintenance  of  industrial  peace. 
No.  5.  Discontinued. 

No.  6.     The   Social    Conscience    and  the  Reli- 
gious Life.     By  Francis  G.  Peabody. 
The   awakening   of   the  churches  to  social  problems. 
No.  7.     Friendly  Visiting.     By  Mary  E.  Richmond. 
A  direct  and  personal  method  of  philanthropic  activity. 
No.  8.     Rural  Economy  as  a  Factor  in  the  Suc- 
cess of  the  Church.     By  Thomas  N.  Carver. 
Prosperous  members  essential  to  a  successful  church. 
No.  9.     The   Relation   of    the   Church    to    the 

Sbcial  Worker.     By  Herbert  Welch. 
The  spiritualization  of  charity  and  social  reform. 
No.  10.      Discontinued. 

No.  1 1 .     The  Wise  Direction  of  Church  Activ- 
ities  Toward  Social  Welfare.     By  Charles 
W.  Eliot. 
Points  out  effective  social  work  which  churches  can  do. 

(For  addition.al  titles  in  this  series  see  inside 
back  cover  oj  this  Bulletin.} 

Order  by  number  only,  not  by  title. 


AMERICAN     UNITARIAN     ASSOCIATION 
25  Beacon  Street,  Boston. 


Social  Service  Series  Bulletin  Number  20 


Knowing   One's  Own   Community 


Suggestions  for  Social  Surveys 
of  Small    Cities   or  Towns 


SECOND  EDITION 
fcEVISED  AND  ENLARGED 


By 
Carol  Aronovici,  Ph.  D. 

Director  of  the  National  Bureau 
of  Municipal  and  Social  Service 


Boston 

American     Unitarian     Association 
25  Beacon  Street 


' 


FOREWORD 

The  intelligent  public  in  the  United  States  is 
slowly  awakening  to  the  dangers  of  the  wasteful 
and  cruel  leakage  in  our  human  resources.  Busi- 
ness men  and  social  workers,  church-workers  and 
statesmen,  university  professors  and  labor  leaders 
all  agree  that  the  mistakes  and  sins  of  our  indus- 
trial life,  the  neglect  and  blind  self-interest  in  the 
business  world,  and  our  ignorance  and  indifference 
towards  the  machinery  that  has  to  do  with  the  po- 
litical and  administrative  affairs  of  the  country,  are 
placing  a  heavy  burden  upon  human  life  and  human 
achievement,  and  are  wasting  invaluable  human  re- 
sources. This  is  quite  as  true  of  the  small  town  and 
village  community  as  it  is  of  the  vast  territory  of 
the  United  States.  The  American  mind  is  emi- 
nently practical  and  measures  values  in  terms  of 
concrete  returns,  but  while  this  characteristic  has 
led  to  momentous  advance  in  the  business  world 
and  in  the  fields  of  science  and  politics,  the  achieve- 
ment has  been  individual  rather  than  social,  and 
progress  has  been  largely  confined  to  certain  classes 
but  has  not  materially  affected  the  masses  of  the 
people. 

What  is  needed  is  a  realization  of  the  principle 
that  the  welfare  of  all  is  the  ultimate  goal  of  the 

3638 


Foreword 


community,  that  our  present  waste  of  resources 
whether  they  be  human  or  material  is  a  direct  handi- 
cap upon  civilization  and  progress,  and  that  our 
present  industrial  and  business  prosperity  is  far 
from  yielding  its  full  return  either  to  the  individual 
or  to  society. 

The  conservation  of  natural  resources  has  be- 
come an  established  principle  in  our  national  econ- 
omy, the  possibilities  for  increased  industrial  ef- 
ficiency and  productivity  without  increase  in  the 
use  of  labor  are  engaging  the  attention  of  the  busi- 
ness world.  On  the  other  hand  the  conservation 
of  human  resources,  the  increased  efficiency  of 
community  life,  community  production  and  com- 
munity development  are  still  in  the  background  of 
our  national  achievement.  The  point  of  view  is  not 
one  of  improvement  of  resources  but  of  use  in- 
crease, not  one  of  co-ordinate  development  but  in- 
dividual use  efficiency. 

The  advocates  of  conservation  of  national  re- 
sources and  the  practical  managers  who  are  test- 
ing the  efficiency  limits  of  our  labor  and  machinery 
are  rendering  valuable  national  service,  but  their 
work  is  of  the  present,  is  largely  material,  and  aims 
at  human  achievement  with  the  human  element  left 
out. 

We  believe  that  human  nature  under  proper  con- 
ditions is  capable  of  vastly  greater  efficiency,  serv- 
ice and  happiness  than  present  conditions  have  ever 
made  possible  of  attainment.  Each  locality  prc- 


Foreword 


sents  its  own  special  problems  of  human  conserva- 
tion and  community  efficiency,  and  it  is  the  purpose 
of  this  bulletin  to  guide  public  spirited  citizens  in 
the  work  of  ascertaining  the  conditions  that  prevail 
in  their  own  community,  particularly  small  cities  and 
towns.  When  the  facts  are  known  and  the  good  is 
balanced  against  the  bad,  a  consciousness  of  pub- 
lic responsibility  is  bound  to  result  which  will  blast 
the  way  towards  improvements  of  a  constructive,  far 
reaching  and  permanent  character.  This  will  re- 
sult in  a  standard  of  human  efficiency  that  will  af- 
fect both  production  and  its  rewards  in  a  manner 
that  will  create  a  community  patriotism  worthy  of 
its  brother,  the  national  love  of  country  and  nation. 


KNOWING   ONE'S   OWN 
COMMUNITY 

GENERAL  CONSIDERATIONS 
NEED  FOR  A  SURVEY 

The  extremely  rapid  growth  of  our  cities  and 
towns,  the  vast  influx  of  foreign  elements  and 
the  recent  migration  of  industrial  establishments 
from  the  larger  to  the  smaller  populational  cen- 
ters, as  well  as  the  progress  and  development  of 
local  industries,  have  conibined  to  produce  in  our 
smaller  cities  and  towns  social  and  economic  condi- 
tions which  demand  our  undivided  and  immediate 
attention.  The  startling  revelations  of  the  Pitts- 
burg  Survey,  the  political  conditions  revealed  in 
San  Francisco  and  the  inefficiency  of  some  of  the 
municipal  departments  of  New  York  as  shown  by 
careful  and  impartial  investigations,  have  thrown  a 
shadow  over  the  three  greatest  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial centers  of  America  about  which  it  is  wiser 
to  be  silent  than  proud. 

Similar  conditions  have  come  into  existence  in 
other  communities  and  the  small  city  is  coming  to 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

feel  the  lack  of  social  foresight  whose  poison  is  on 
the  increase.     The  remedy  is  close  at  hand,  namely 
a  careful,  impartial,  intelligent  survey  of  the  diffi- 
culties and  problems  in  the  way  of  a  proper,  health- 
ful,   progressive    and    nationally    constructive    de- 
velopment of  the  community,  and  when  the   facts 
\  are  known,  prompt  action  for  the  removal  of  such 
I  obstacles  and  problems.     In  other  words  a  survey 
I  must  be  made  before  action  can  be  determined  upon 
and  before  sufficient  community  interest  and  pride 
I    can  be  aroused  to  stand  back  of  a  concerted  effort 
toward  social  and  industrial  improvement, 

STARTING  A  SURVEY 

A  survey  like  any  other  civic  activity  involving 
a  conscious  effort  on  the  part  of  a  group  of  citizens 
must  be  started  by  some  particular  civic  or  philan- 
thropic agency,  some  body  of  men  or  women  in- 
terested in  the  welfare  of  the  people  whose  inten- 
tions can  not  be  questioned  and  whose  integrity, 
good  judgment,  moral  and  political  standing  are 
beyond  reproach.  Most  small  cities  and  towns  have 
a  Charity  Organization  Society,  a  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  a  Board  of  Trade,  a  Busi- 
ness Men's  Association,  a  Grange,  a  large  Women's 
Club,  a  University  Club  or  some  other  similar 
organization  or  agency  which  is  backed  by  promi- 
nent men  or  women  or  both.  The  person  or  per- 
sons interested  in  making  a  survey  should  select 
the  most  prominent,  the  most  respected  and  if 
[3] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

possible  the  best  financed  organization  in  the  com- 
munity to  back  the  work.  The  main  conditions  to 
be  observed  in  selecting  the  organization  should  be 
as  far  as  possible  a  complete  absence  of  sectarian 
affiliations,  political  color  or  special  industrial  or 
public  service  interests. 

When  the  organization  has  been  decided  upon  a 
carefully  selected  special  committee  of  persons 
from  various  walks  of  life  should  be  appointed  with 
instructions  to  plan  and  organize  the  survey  under 
the  auspices  of  that  organization.  This  committee 
should  not  be  so  large  as  to  be  unwieldy,  nor  so 
small  as  to  be  in  danger  of  being  one-sided  or  not 
representative  of  the  best  elements  in  the  organiza- 
tion. A  committee  of  ten  persons  in  localities  under 
ten  thousand  population  and  of  fifteen  to  twenty 
in  localities  over  ten  thousand  with  special  sub-com- 
mittees would  probably  prove  most  efficient. 

THE  POINT  OF  VIEW 

The  committee  being  chosen  and  ready  to  work  it 
is  important  to  decide  upon  the  point  of  view  from 
which  to  approach  the  task,  and  in  deciding  upon 
such  point  of  view  several  steps  must  be  taken  be- 
fore a  final  decision  is  reached.  The  advice  of 
some  outside  expert  familiar  with  the  method  of  in- 
vestigating conditions  and  acquainted  with  the  prob- 
lems of  small  communities  will  be  found  valuable, 
and  will  prove  the  .easiest  and  surest  way  of  decid- 
ing upon  the  point  of  view  from  which  the  survey 
[3] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

is  to  be  approached.  If  such  an  expert  is  not  avail- 
able the  local  social  workers  connected  with  various 
philanthropic  agencies  should  be  consulted  as  a 
group  and  their  suggestions  considered  as  coming 
from  persons  with  first  hand  information  concerning 
existing  conditions. 

In  deciding  upon  the  point  of  view  from  which 
to  approach  a  survey  it  is  important  to  recognize 
in  general  several  conditions : 

1.  Is  the  community  suffering  from  questionable  political 
conditions  ? 

2.  Is  the  (city)  local  government  inefficient  owing  to  anti- 
quated methods? 

3.  Is  the  population  made  up  of  a  large  number  of  foreign 
immigrants  ? 

4.  Is  there  any  particular  local  social  problem  of  especial 
interest  to  the  people  when  the  survey  is  started? 

5.  Can  you  count  on  the  co-operation  of  your  official;? 

6.  Is  there  in  the  community  a  set  of  men  a.  I  women  who 
are   ready   to  take   up    the  work  of  the  survey   and   do   it 
devotedly  and  intelligently? 

7.  Can  you  count  on  the  press  for  support? 

These  are  questions  that  the  commiUee  must  ask 
itself  before  deciding  upon  the  point  of  view  from 
which  to  approach  their  work,  and  any  intelligent 
person  or  body  of  persons  sufficiently  interested  in 
the  community  to  act  as  a  curvey  committee  should 
be  able  to  answer  these  questions.  If  the  com- 
munity is  suffering  from  undue  and  pernicious  po- 
litical activity  and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
result  of  a  study  of  the  administration  of  public 
[4] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

affairs  would  lead  to  immediate  and  radical  changes 
for  the  better,  it  is  well  to  begin  the  work  from  that 
end  and  work  up  towards  the  general  social  prob- 
lems as  outlined  in  this  bulletin.  If  the  social  prob- 
lems of  your  community  are  more  promising  of 
results  and  the  press  is  ready  to  help  you  bring  the 
facts  before  the  public  and  stand  back  of  recom- 
mendations that  might  logically  be  made  after  the 
facts  have  been  ascertained  it  is  best  to  begin  from 
the  social  end.  If  the  community  is  aroused  to  some 
particular  evil  which  has  not  yet  been  remedied  and 
which  depends  for  its  solution  upon  a  thorough  and 
impartial  investigation,  by  all  means  the  survey 
should  begin  with  that  particular  problem. 

In  all  of  the  work,  however,  whether  it  is  under- 
taken in  order  to  bring  about  a  complete  change  in 
the  community  life,  or  whether  it  is  to  deal  only  with 
specific  problems,  the  committee  must  approach  its 
task  with  a  definite  understanding  that  the  work  is 
to  be  done  for  the  benefit  of  the  locality  without 
sensationalism  that  would  be  injurious  to  its  reputa- 
tion as  a  center  of  population.  The  work  is  not  to 
be  given  up  until  definite  results  are  accomplished 
and  above  all  every  available  social  force  in  the  com- 
munity should  be  made  a  part  of  the  working  team 
of  the  survey  so  that  no  particular  body  of  men  or 
women  may  take  the  full  credit  for  the  results  ac- 
complished. 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

SCOPE  OF  SURVEY 

A  survey  should  cover  as  far  as  possible  every 
phase  of  community  life,  advantageous  and  disad- 
vantageous, that  time  and  available  energy  can 
secure,  but  if  selection  of  specific  problems  is  made 
either  for  the  purpose  of  beginning  the  work  or 
because  of  limitations  of  time  and  working  force, 
the  lines  of  investigation  selected  should  be  prac- 
tical, should  have  in  view  improvements  affecting 
as  many  people  as  possible,  should  be  easily  under- 
stood by  the  masses  and  should  be  measurable  in 
commonly  accepted  quantities.  If  the  supply  of 
milk  is  bad  an  investigation  into  the  source  of  milk 
and  the  passage  of  proper  regulations  for  the  con- 
trol of  the  milk  supply  will  soon  show  results  that 
can  be  measured  in  terms  of  a  material  reduction 
in  the  infant  mortality  and  morbidity.  If  the 
schools  are  spending  large  amounts  of  money  with 
meager  results,  an  investigation  into  the  accounting 
system  of  the  school  department,  a  study  of  the 
physical  conditions  of  the  children  and  visits  to  the 
homes  of  backward  and  truant  pupils  will  soon  re- 
veal the  cause  of  the  inefficiency  in  terms  which  can 
be  easily  understood  and  almost  as  easily  remedied. 

Stated  in  brief,  a  survey  must  follow  lines  which 
are  of  a  practical  character  and  must  have  in  view 
tangible  improvements  which  are  easily  understood 
and  most  generally  desired. 


[6] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

SURVEYING  FORCES 

With  a  committee  appointed  and  the  general 
scope  of  the  work  decided  upon  it  is  important  to 
secure  the  co-operation  of  intelligent  persons  in 
the  community  who  would  be  willing  to  give  their 
time  and  energy  to  the  work  and  whose  professional 
or  intellectual  interest  lies  in  the  particular  phases 
of  the  work  to  be  undertaken. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  classes  of  people 
most  likely  to  respond  to  a  demand  for  assistance 
in  the  work : 

Social  workers. 

Physicians. 

Lawyers. 

Superintendents  of  schools  and  teachers. 

Clergymen. 

Business  men  and  mill  owners. 

Superintendents  of  mills. 

Editors. 

University  professors  and  students. 

Officers  of  civic  and  philanthropic  agencies. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  inclination  and 
mental  make-up  of  each  person  must  be  considered 
in  assigning  a  worker  to  any  particular  field  and 
that  only  persons  with  high  standing  in  the  com- 
munity should  be  chosen.  This  latter  condition  is  so 
important  that  a  single  mistake  in  choosing  workers 
may  impair  the  effectiveness  of  the  whole  enter- 
prise. 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

As  in  many  towns  and  cities  colleges  and  universi- 
ties furnish  an  opportunity  for  increasing  the  field 
of  the  survey  through  the  assistance  of  students,  it 
is  important  to  sound  a  warning  against  indiscrimi- 
nate use  of  student  work.  Three  years  of  experi- 
ence have  demonstrated  to  the  writer  that  ,only  the 
most  mature  students  are  capable  of  doing  accu- 
rate and  reliable  work  and  that  .even  with  this  class 
of  help  the  greatest  care  and  the  largest  possible 
amount  of  supervision  is  necessary. 

The  newspaper  editor,  while,  owing  to  his  prob- 
able knowledge  of  conditions,  familiarity  with  public 
opinion  and  the  methods  of  stimulating  it,  one  of 
the  most  valuable  members  of  an  investigating  body 
either  as  worker  or  as  a  member  of  the  survey 
committee,  should  be  very  carefully  selected,  or 
else  the  temptation  to  publish  news  may  get  the 
better  of  the  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  in  survey  work  an  ounce  of  discretion  is 
frequently  worth  a  ton  of  publicity. 

With  the  workers  selected  and  the  problems  to 
be  handled  decided  upon,  the  machinery  for  investi- 
gation is  ready  and  while  it  is  difficult  to  discuss  in 
the  brief  space  of  this  publication  the  problems  and 
aspects  to  be  considered  as  part  of  a  survey,  certain 
definite  lines  of  inquiry  may  be  safely  outlined  leav- 
ing the  more  intricate  problems  and  investigations 
to  the  expert  "  social  engineer  "  whenever  his  as- 
sistance can  be  secured. 


[8] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  COMMUNITY 

In  practically  every  survey  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  character  of  the  community,  its  development, 
its  industries,  its  population  and  its  geographic  lo- 
cation must  be  definitely  ascertained  and  made  the 
foundation  for  further  study. 

In  the  study  of  the  character  of  the  community 
the  following  questions  might  be  asked: 

1.  Is  the  community  a  chartered  city,  town  or  village? 
.9.  Is  it  part  of  a  larger  incorporated  community  or  is  it 
independent? 

3.  Is  it  a   farming  or  manufacturing  community,   and  to 
what  extent  is  each  prevalent? 

4.  Has  the  community  developed  slowly,  or  has  some  recent 
change  brought  about  a  sudden  growth  or  decrease? 

5.  Are  the  old  settlers  and  their  descendants  holding  control 
over  the  industries,  or  have  recent  arrivals  obtained  control? 

When  the  general  character  of  the  community  has 
been  ascertained  a  study  of  the  population  is  then 
in  order.  This  can  best  be  done  by  consulting  the 
United  States  Census  or  the  State  Census  of  the  par- 
ticular State  in  which  the  community  is  located.1 

Population  Questions. 

1.  What  is  the  total  population  of  the  community? 

2.  How  many  persons  are  foreign  born,  how  many  of  for- 
eign parents  were  born  in  the  United  States  and  how  many 
are  of  mixed  parents,  one  parent  being  born  in  the  United 
States  and  the  other  in  some  foreign  country? 

1  The  United  States  Census  is  taken  every  ten  years  on  the  ten 
year  period  while  the  state  censuses  are  taken  every  ten  years  on 
the  five  year  period.  In  consulting  the  Census  it  is  well  to  consult 
the  one  nearest  the  date  of  the  investigation. 

[91 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

3.  What    is    the    age    distribution    of    the    population,    by 
five  year  periods?     (Keep  the  native  born,  the  foreign  born, 
and  the  natives  of  foreign  parents  separately.) 

4.  In  what  numbers  are  the  various  races  and  nationalities 
represented  ? 

5.  What  is  the  total  number  of  married  persons  by   sex, 
age  periods  and  nationality  ?  2 

6.  What  is  the   total  number  of  persons  unmarried   over 
twenty  years  of  age?     (Give  the  sexes,  the  place  of  birth  and 
when  possible  the  place  of  birth  of  parents). 

7.  What  is   the  total  number  of  children  under  five  and 
under   one   year   of   age    of   the   different   nationalities    and 
parentage? 

8.  Compare  all  of  the  answers  to  the  above  seven  questions 
for  the   last   census   year  with   similar   answers   for  the   ten 
years   previous,    and   if   possible   the   twenty   years   previous 
and  find  what  the  increase  or  decrease  has  been  during  the 
periods  mentioned.s 

The  information  gathered  in  answer  to  the  above 
questions  will  be  useful  as  a  guide  in  further  work. 
It  gives  the  foundation  for  a  study  of  the  human 
element  of  the  community  and  in  a  manner  is  a  con- 
crete expression  of  the  growth  and  change  in  the 
population  during  a  reasonable  period  of  time. 
The  rapid  change  in  the  size  and  in  the  national  or 
racial  make-up  of  our  cities  and  towns  and  the 
problems  that  a  large  immigrant  element  create 
make  the  study  of  the  population  vastly  more  im- 
portant in  America  than  in  any  other  country  of  the 
world  and  the  survey  should  not  slight  this  aspect 

2  Use  five  and  ten  year  periods  as  follows:  under  5,   5  to  9,   10 
to   14,   15  to   19,  20  to  24,  25  to  34,  35  to  44,  45  to  54,   55  to  64, 
65   and  over. 

3  Use   the   United   States  Census  as   your  source  when  you  make 
comparisons    if    you    have    used    that    census    for    your    first    figures 
and  the  state  census  throughout  if  you  begin  with  the  state  census. 

[10'] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

of  its  work,  even  though  much  prejudice  and  misun- 
derstanding of  statistics  may  place  small  value  upon 
the  figures.  They  will  be  a  most  valuable  and  in- 
dispensable asset  in  shaping  the  work  of  the  survey 
and  in  deriving  conclusions  from  the  facts. 

GEOGRAPHIC  SITUATION 

The  facts  relating  to  geographic  situation  may 
seem  superfluous  and  obvious,  but  many  a  problem 
depends  for  its  solution  upon  a  proper  knowledge 
of  location,  environment  and  proximity  to  other 
communities  and  resources.  The  following  geo- 
graphic questions  might  be  answered  with  profit  to 
the  survey. 

1.  Is  the  town  or  city  located  upon  upland  or  lowland  or 
both  and  to  what  extent? 

2.  Is  there  any  water  front  available  and  what  is  its  extent? 

3.  Is  the  water  front  navigable  and  if  not,  why? 

4.  Has  the  water  front  ever  been  used  for  navigation  and 
how  long  ago? 

5.  What  is  the  total  area  of  the  community  and  how  much 
is  unoccupied  land? 

6.  How  much  of  the  unoccupied  land  is  fit  for  use  and  how 
much  is  capable  of  being  rendered  useful  and  in  what  way? 

7.  How  far  from  any  large  populational  center  is  the  com- 
munity? 

8.  Is  the  surrounding  land,  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles, 
agricultural,  manufacturing,  wooded  or  fallow  land,  and  how 
much  of  each? 

9.  What  is  the  general  climatic  condition  and  what  are  its 
known  effects  upon  health?  ^3 


All  the  above  problems  are  capable  of  being  an- 
swered by  consultation  with  engineers  of  the  local- 

cm 


I 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

ity,  the  United  States  Geodetic  Survey  Department, 
the  Weather  Bureau  and  such  books  and  pamphlets 
as  may  be  found  in  the  publications  of  the  state 
and  federal  offices. 

The  problem  of  providing  sanitary,  accessible 
homes,  the  interchange  of  population  between  com- 
munities, due  to  irregularity  of  employment,  the  cost 
of  living  as  related  to  accessible  market  facilities, 
are  largely  determined  by  the  amount  of  land  avail- 
able for  housing  purposes,  the  transportation  sys- 
tem, etc.  A  careful  examination  of  the  facts  related 
to  the  above  questions  will  form  the  foundation  for 
a  comprehensive  study  of  these  problems  which  are 
considered  at  length  in  the  following  pages. 

LOCAL  GOVERNMENT 
GENERAL  CONDITIONS 

It  is  a  generally  accepted  fact,  demonstrated  by 
repeated  study  that  the  type  of  government  of  a 
community  not  only  reflects  the  citizenship  of  that 
community,  but  determines  to  a  very  considerable 
extent  the  number  and  solution  of  many  of  its  so- 
cial problems.  The  understanding  of  the  organiza- 
tion and  work  of  the  local  government  is  therefore 
a  prerequisite  of  efficient  work  in  remedying  ex- 
isting conditions,  and  often  in  explaining  civic 
apathy  that  is  so  dangerous  to  American  democracy. 

Some  of  the  facts  to  be  ascertained  concerning 
local  government  are  as  follows: 
[12] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

1.  Is  the  community  an  independent  governmental  unit  or 
is  it  part  of  some  other  city  or  town? 

2.  Is  the  government  based  upon  a  special  charter  or  is 
there  a  general  charter  that  applies  to  all  localities  of  the 
same  class  in  the  State? 

3.  What  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  charter  during  the 
last  fifty  years? 

4.  What  are  the  requirements  for  voting?     (Is  there  any 
property  qualification?) 

5.  How  often  are  the  local  elections  held  and  what  officers 
are  elected? 

6.  How  large  is  the  city  council  and  board  of  aldermen, 
or  whatever  the  local  legislative  body  may  be? 

7.  Are  the  councilmen  elected  at  large  or  by  wards? 

8.  What  powers  does  the  mayor  have? 

9.  What  power  does  the  council  have? 

10.  Are  the  schools  administered  by  elective  officers  or  by 
an  appointive  committee?     How  are  the  appointments  made? 

11.  What   are  the  departments  which  constitute  the  work 
of  the  local  government? 

12.  To  whom  are  the  heads  of  each  department  responsible 
and  what  is  the  extent  of  this  responsibility? 

13.  What  is   the   appropriating  body  which   decides   upon 
the  distribution  of  the  public  funds? 

14.  Are  budgetary  estimates  published  in  advance  or  are 
requests  made  privately  by  department  heads  to  the  appro- 
priating body? 

15.  What  legislation  affecting  the  health  and  morals  of  the 
community   as   a  whole   has   the   council   enacted   within   the 
last  five  years? 

16.  What  local   problems   have   arisen   within   the   last   ten 
years  which  have  not  been  solved  on  account  of  the  limited 
powers  of  the  local  government? 

17.  What  laws  intended  to  benefit  the  community  have  been 
submitted  to  the  State  Legislature  within  the  last  ten  years, 
and  have  failed  of  passage? 

18.  What  means  of  publicity  do  the  city  departments  use 
to  inform  the  public  of  their  work,  are  published  reports  re- 
quired by  law  and  if  so,  is  the  form  determined  or  is  it  left 
to  the  discretion  of  the  reporting  department? 

19.  What  method  of  checking  accounts  is  in  use? 

[is] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

It  is  clear  from  the  above  questions  that  the 
points  emphasized  relate  to  the  machinery  of  the 
local  government  in  its  relation  to  the  individual 
voter  as  a  part  of  the  whole  community  or  of  a  par- 
ticular neighborhood  or  ward.  The  distribution 
and  use  of  the  city's  or  town's  financial  resources 
have  long  been  the  subjects  around  which  have  cen- 
tered most  of  our  existing  or  suspected  graft.  In- 
adequacy and  inefficiency  of  service  have  frequently 
been  attributed  to  insufficient  financial  resources 
when  fundamentally  a  lack  of  understanding  of  the 
community's  needs  has  caused  an  unintelligent  and 
unreasonable  budgetary  distribution. 

The  relation  between  existing  home  rule,  its  ef- 
ficacy and  the  handicap  resulting  from  its  limita- 
tions are  also  emphasised  in  the  above  questions  so 
that  some  judgment  regarding  needed  charter 
changes  may  be  formulated. 

TAXATION 

The  above  general  questions  have  to  do  par- 
ticularly with  the  organization  of  the  government 
and  to  a  certain  extent  with  the  legislative  powers 
of  the  community.  The  taxing  powers  and  the 
financial  condition  of  the  locality  may  be  ascertained 
by  endeavoring  to  answer  the  following  questions : 

1.  What  is  the  tax  rate  and  how  is  it  determined? 

2.  What  is  the  number  of  taxpayers  upon  real  estate  as 
compared    with    the    number    of    taxpayers    upon    personal 
property? 

[14] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

3.  What  are  the  laws  concerning  assessments? 

4.  Is  land  assessed  separately  from  improvements? 

5.  What  share  of  the  taxes  is  being  derived  from  public 
service  corporations? 

6.  What  other  revenue  is  derived  from  public  service  cor- 
porations? 

7.  What  other  revenues  does  the  city  derive  from  sources 
such   as   renting  of  property,  fines,   licenses,  etc.,  and  what 
proportion  of  the  total  revenue  do  they  form? 

8.  Do  the  taxes  meet  the  needs  of  the  present  budget  or  is 
money  being  borrowed  to  pay  current  expenses? 

9.  What  is  the  borrowing  limit  and  how  much  is  the  in- 
debtedness of  the  community? 

10.  What  have  been  the  large  improvements  accomplished 
with  borrowed  money  in  the  last  ten  years? 

11.  What   improvement   work   is    going   on   at   the   present 
time,  paid  for  with  borrowed  money? 

12.  Is  there  a  special  tax  for  school  purposes  and  what  is 
the  rate? 

13.  What   is    the    distribution    of   the   money   between   the 
various  local  departments? 

14.  What   has    been   the   increase   in   the   appropriation   of 
each  department  in  the  last  ten  years? 

15.  What   effect   have   increased    appropriations   had  upon 
the  different  departments? 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  numerous  questions 
that  should  be  asked  in  connection  with  a  study  of 
the  local  government,  and  it  is  hoped  that  in  the 
process  of  securing  the  data  relating  to  them  other 
questions  will  suggest  themselves  which  are  more 
distinctly  of  a  local  nature  and  which  will  lead  to  a 
better  understanding  of  conditions  than  we  can  hope 
to  suggest.  The  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  town 
and  city  government  of  this  country  and  the  specific 
phases  of  administrative  work  inherent  in  particular 
localities  make  a  fuller  outline  of  inquiry  inadvis- 
[15] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

able,  but  the  writer  hopes  that  in  choosing  the  work- 
ers in  this  field  tax  payers,  lawyers,  real  estate 
dealers,  bankers,  employers  of  labor,  labor  leaders 
and  other  men  familiar  with  public  affairs  will  be 
found  willing  to  take  the  work  into  their  hands. 


Within  the  last  twenty  years  little  progress 
has  been  made  in  taxation  methods.  With  the  rapid 
increase  in  population  due  to  foreign  immigration, 
the  growing  congestion  in  our  cities  and  the  shift- 
ing of  wage  earners  from  one  industrial  center  to 
another;  the  increasing  tax  rates  caused  by  neces- 
sary school  facilities,  health,  police  and  fire  protec- 
tion to  be  provided  for  a  non  tax  paying  population 
are  becoming  more  and  more  burdensome  and  in- 
equitous.  A  clearer  vision  of  the  tax  problems  is 
greatly  needed  so  that  a  more  just  and  adequate  sys- 
tem of  taxation  may  be  devised  and  applied.  West- 
ern and  Canadian  cities  are  experimenting  with  new 
methods  and  are  securing  the  desired  results.  The 
fundamental  philosophy  of  all  new  systems  of  tax- 
ation is  based  upon  the  principle  of  returning  to 
society  the  values  created  by  it  and  infusing  into 
the  tax  burden  a  promotive  rather  than  a  prohibi- 
tory element. 


[16] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

SUFFRAGE 

The  condition  of  the  local  government,  its  effi- 
ciency and  capacity  for  development  and  service 
depends  to  a  considerable  extent  upon  the  pre- 
vailing suffrage  laws  as  well  as  upon  the  character 
of  those  enjoying  the  right  and  taking  advantage 
of  their  privilege  to  vote.  A  knowledge  of  the 
suffrage  conditions  in  a  community  may  be  gained 
by  inquiries  such  as  these : 

1.  What  are  the  local  suffrage  laws? 

2.  What  is  the  race  and  nationality  of  the  probable  voters? 

3.  Within  the  last  twenty  years  what  has  been  the  change 
in  the  national  and  racial  composition  of  the  persons  entitled 
to  vote? 

4.  What  was  the  difference  between  the  total  number  of 
voters   at   the   last   local   election   and   the   total   number   of 
persons  entitled  to  vote?     (Indicate  these  figures  by  national- 
ity and  place  of  birth  of  father  if  possible.) 

5.  Are  there  ward  leaders;  what  is  their  character,  business 
interests,  connection  with  public  work  and  public  service  cor- 
porations, public  offices?    What  is  their  political  and  religious 
affiliations  and  nationality? 

6.  Have   the   various   nationalities    and   races   come   to   be 
organized  into  political  clubs  and  if  so  to  what  extent  and 
for  what  purpose? 

7.  Is  buying  and  selling  of  votes  a  general  practice,  and 
if  so  what  parties  and  what  interests  practice  this  method? 

8.  What    is    the    usual    political    affiliation    of    the    various 
nationalities  ? 

9.  What    agencies    are    interested    in    the    development    of 
citizenship   among   the   natives    and    foreign   born    and   what 
results  have  been  accomplished  through  their  effort? 

The  question  concerning  the  reasonableness  of  the 
general  fear  lest  the  foreigner  may,  from  the  point 
[17] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

of  view  of  citizenship,  prove  injurious  to  American 
democracy,  American  institutions  and  traditions,  can 
be  answered  more  intelligently  by  an  impartial  in- 
quiry into  the  above  nine  questions  than  by  any 
other  means.  The  results  of  such  inquiry  may 
bring  about  either  greater  ease  of  mind  for  the 
natives  or  a  more  patriotic  activity  for  the  civic 
education  of  the  foreigners,  stimulated  by  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  facts. 


[18] 


INDUSTRY 

Industry,  or  that  combination  of  opportunities 
and  conditions  which  makes  up  the  chances  for  la- 
bor, the  sources  of  maintenance  and  the  assurance  of 
the  workers  against  the  dangers  of  over  work,  un- 
sanitary and  dangerous  labor  conditions  and  idle- 
ness is  the  most  vital  force  in  the  community:  it  is 
the  power  that  determines  its  growth  and  character. 
This  broad  point  of  view  of  industry  should  be  so 
studied  as  to  show  their  relationship  and  influence 
upon  the  workers  and  upon  the  industries. 

For  a  clear  understanding  of  the  local  industrial 
problems  and  a  more  logical  plan  of  inquiry  it  is 
advisable  to  classify  the  whole  subject  as  follows: 

1.  Types  of  Industries 

2.  Character  of  Workers  and  Compensation 

3.  Steadiness  of  Employment 

4.  Chances  for  Temporary  and  Side  Employment 

5.  Protection  against  Unemployment 

6.  Safety  in  Employment 

7.  Welfare  Work. 

The  above  classification  covers  in  a  general  way 
the  main  aspects  of  the  study  of  industry  and  upon 
their  intelligent  treatment  and  a  careful  scrutiny  of 
the  facts  depend  the  answers  to  many  of  the  im- 
portant industrial  problems  of  the  day. 
[19] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

TYPES  OF  INDUSTRY 

By  types  of  industry  is  to  be  understood  not  only 
the  production  of  the  mill  and  the  factory,  but  all 
larger  productive  activities  which  use  labor  in  con- 
siderable quantities,  particularly  those  pursuits 
which  give  character  to  the  community  and  which 
have  determined  the  growth  of  the  population  and 
the  development  of  manufacture  and  trade. 

A  reasonably  comprehensive  idea  of  the  types  of 
industries  prevalent  in  the  community  can  be  ob- 
tained by  consulting  the  last  census  report  on  occu- 
pations and  selecting  the  pursuits  which  employ  the 
largest  number  of  laborers  or  workers.  A  standard 
of  such  study  may  be  found  by  placing  the  limit 
of  workers  at  one  hundred  persons  or  more  for  each 
industry  studied.  This  is,  however,  not  the  figure 
which  should  always  be  accepted  as  the  best,  but 
should  rather  be  a  point  from  which  to  determine 
a  standard  by  taking  into  account  the  extent  of  the 
investigation  to  be  made,  the  amount  of  time  avail- 
able, the  size  of  the  community  and  the  number  of 
workers  available  for  the  survey. 

The  industries  to  be  considered,  once  agreed 
upon,  the  following  questions  should  be  answered: 

1.  What  is  the  character  of  each  industry  and  how  many 
establishments  are  in  operation? 

2.  What  is  the  number  of  workers  employed  in  each  in- 
dustry and  in  each  establishment? 

3.  Is   there   a   financial   or   legal    connection   between   any 
of  the  industrial  establishments? 
[20] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

4.  What  has  been  the  growth  of  each  industry  in  the  last 
ten  years? 

5.  Have    any    establishments    been    abandoned    or   bought 
out  by  others  in  the  same  locality? 

6.  Have  any  outside  competing  interests  bought  out  local 
establishments  which  were  later  abandoned? 

7.  Are  most  of  the  industries  in  the  hands  of  local  people 
or  are  they  in  the  hands  of  outsiders  who  have  come  to  seek 
a  labor  market? 

8.  How  are  industrial  establishments  taxed  and  how  does 
it  affect  the  establishment  of  new  industries? 

9.  Are  the  industries  so  co-ordinated  as  to  be  dependent 
upon  each  other's  products  or  not? 

10.  Do  industries  find   a  satisfactory  labor  supply  in  the 
community  or  is  labor  imported  from  other  localities? 

11.  Are  extensive  means  of  advertising  for  labor  used  and 
what  responsibilities  do  the  employers  assume  towards  their 
imported  employees. 

12.  Is  the  importation  of  labor  due  to  an  actual  industrial 
demand  for  extra  help  or  to  a  desire  to  reduce  wages  by  over- 
stocking the  labor  market  and  hindering  the  unions? 

CHARACTER  OF  WORKERS  AND  COMPENSATION 

The  above  inquiries  having  been  completed  and 
the  facts  stated  clearly  and  comprehensively  the 
character  of  the  workers  and  wages  may  next  be 
considered  and  the  inquiry  should  follow  somewhat 
along  the  following  lines : 

1.  What  is  the  total  number  of  workers  in  each  industry 
and  if  possible  in  each  establishment? 

2.  How  many  of  the  workers  are  men,  women  or  children?  1 

3.  What  is  the  proportion  of  skilled  and  unskilled  workers 
of  each  sex? 

4.  What  are  the  nationalities  and  races  mainly  represented 
in  each  occupation? 

5.  What  is  the  maximum  and  minimum  wage  in  each  for 
men,  women  and  children  in  skilled  and  unskilled  trades? 

1  Before  investigation  see  labor  laws  concerning  children. 

[21] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

6.  Are  men  or  women  more  commonly  idle  in  particular 
industries  and  why? 

7.  Are   married   women   and   women   with    small   children 
employed  and  to  what  extent? 

8.  Is  there  a  large  group  of  workers  without  family  con- 
nections in  the  community? 

9.  Do  many  workers  live  in  other  localities  and  come  to 
work  in  your  community  or  vice  versa? 

10.  Are  skilled  workers  available  in  the  community  or  must 
they  be  brought  from  outside? 

11.  Are  the  schools  endeavoring  to  train  workers  along  the 
lines  required  by  local  industries  and  if  so  are  the  products 
of  these  schools  finding  employment  in  the  locality? 


That  some  difficulties  will  be  found  in  ascertain- 
ing the  facts  relating  to  the  above  questions  must 
be  granted,  but  through  the  assistance  of  the  census, 
the  manufacturers  and  superintendents,  the  charity 
society,  the  school  authorities,  the  ministers  and  the 
voting  lists  satisfactory  results  will  be  obtained. 

STEADINESS  OF  EMPLOYMENT 

One  of  the  most  serious  difficulties  in  modern  in- 
dustry is  the  fluctuation  in  the  demand  for  labor, 
during  various  periods  of  the  year.  The  commu- 
nity life  of  a  city  or  town  is  often  rendered  unstable 
and  thriftless  by  the  constant  changes  in  the  op- 
portunities for  regular  and  well-paid  employment. 
This  is  particularly  true  of  small  populational  cen- 
ters where  only  a  limited  number  of  industrial 
establishments  of  the  same  kind,  which  are  often 
controlled  by  the  same  company  or  corporation,  are 
[22] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

to  be  found.     An  inquiry  along  this  line  might  be 
based  upon  the  following  questions : 

1.  Do  your  industries  employ  steadily  through  the  year  the 
same  number  of  workers  and  what  industries  have  variations 
in  the  number  of  their  employees? 

2.  When  and  how  long  are  the  rush  and  slack  seasons  in 
each  industry  and  what  classes  of  workers  are  affected  most 
seriously  by  them? 

3.  Is  the  work  of  the  industries  with  slack  seasons  such  as 
to  make  it  possible  for  workers  to  go  from  one  industry  to 
another  and  to  what  extent  is  this  the  practice? 

4.  Does  the  rush  season  bring  many  out  of  town  workers? 

5.  Are  men  or  women  most  commonly  affected  by  the  rush 
and  slack  seasons? 

6.  Has  work  been  suspended  because  of  strikes  or  lockouts 
within  the  last  two  years  and  if  so  in  what  industries  and 
what  has  been  the  number  of  workers  affected? 

7.  What  has  been  the  result  of  the  most  important  strikes 
and  lockouts  that  have  taken  place  within  the  last  two  years? 
(Increased    wages,    shortening    of    hours    or    replacement    of 
striking  workers  with  non-union  labor?) 

Enforced  idleness  due  to  irregularity  of  employ- 
ment is  one  of  the  most  serious  social  problems  to 
be  dealt  with.  Not  only  is  the  economic  life  of  the 
individual  and  the  family  affected,  but  the  moral 
and  social  life  of  the  workers  is  endangered.  The 
saloon,  the  vice  resort  and  the  cheapest  types  of 
amusements  thrive  upon  irregular  employment,  while 
the  rush  season  endangers  the  health  of  the  workers 
and  attracts  a  nomad  population  of  wage  earners 
who  are  soon  thrown  upon  the  community  for  care 
and  support.  Rush  and  slack  industrial  seasons 
are  due  to  a  lack  of  intelligent  adjustment  between 
supply  and  demand  which  scientific  management  can 
and  should  abolish. 

[23] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

TEMPORARY  AND  SIDE  EMPLOYMENT 

Many  of  the  workers  abroad  and  some  of  the 
recently  arrived  immigrants  in  this  country  with 
their  love  for  the  out-of-doors  and  an  appreciation 
of  the  opportunity  to  use  the  bounties  of  the  land, 
are  adding  to  their  daily  income  derived  from  work 
in  the  mills  or  mines  by  cultivating  a  small  tract 
of  land  which  constitutes  a  considerable  source  of 
pleasure  and  self-education  besides  the  financial 
gain.  This  practice  is  not  to  be  found  either 
among  the  native  born  mill-workers  or  among  the 
immigrants  who  are  crowded  into  the  tenement  dis- 
tricts of  our  cities  and  towns.  There  are,  how- 
ever, certain  sources  of  income  resulting  from  sup- 
plementary occupations  which  are  carried  on  in  the 
homes  during  evening  hours  which  may  justly  be 
considered  and  which  are  the  outcome  of  unsteady 
employment  and  in  many  instances  of  insufficient 
wages.  In  some  instances  desire  to  accumulate 
wealth  or  secure  economic  independence  induces 
families  to  take  up  work  in  the  homes  so  that  all 
members  of  the  family  may  assist.  Child  labor  of 
the  most  objectionable  type  has  developed  in  con- 
nection with  home  industries. 

There  are  also  many  occupations  in  which  workers 
engage  during  times  of  unemployment  and  which  are 
beneficial  in  so  far  as  they  do  not  interfere  with 
the  integrity  of  the  family  and  the  home,  such  as 

[24] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

the  taking  of  work  from  the  factories  into  the 
home,  the  taking  of  the  entire  family  into  berry 
picking  camps  and  similar  occupations  which  en- 
gage the  attention  of  the  entire  household.  There 
are,  however,  conditions  under  which  work  in  the 
home  and  in  the  fields  is  done  which  is  extremely 
dangerous  and  should  be  carefully  guarded. 

In  ascertaining  the  possibilities  and  character  of 
side  and  temporary  employment  the  following 
questions  may  be  used  as  a  partial  guide: 

1.  How  many  of  the  working  people's  homes  present  op- 
portunities for  small  scale  farming? 

2.  What  is  the  character  and  extent  of  these  local  indus- 
tries, and  what  legal  restrictions   are  placed   upon   such  in- 
dustries?    (Sweatshop     laws,     tenement     house     restrictions, 
etc.) 

3.  Are  small  children  used  in  the  home  industries  and  to 
what  extent? 

4.  What  are  the  lines  of  extra  work  that  laboring  people 
can  undertake  aside  from  their  regular  daily  tasks? 

5.  What  is  the  extent  of  the  practice  of  keeping  roomers 
and  boarders  in  private  families? 


Aside  from  these  questions  the  problem  of  the 
local  industrial  balance  should  be  considered  in 
terms  of  the  possibilities  for  finding  employments 
in  nearby  communities  in  times  of  industrial  de- 
pression in  the  home  city  or  town.  This  problem  of 
migration  for  purposes  of  finding  work  in  other 
communities  rather  than  in  the  home  town  or  city 

[25] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

has  its  advantages  and  disadvantages  and  should 
be  carefully  considered.  In  the  communities  where 
nearby  population  centers  carry  on  industries  sim- 
ilar to  those  of  the  home  community  it  is  often 
possible  to  shift  workers  from  one  to  the  other 
without  impairing  the  family  ties  and  with  con- 
siderable advantage  both  to  employer  and  employee. 
When  the  migration  for  the  purpose  of  finding 
work  takes  the  members,  and  particularly  the  head 
of  the  family  to  distant  places  it  is  often  done  at 
great  risk  to  the  home.  Many  cases  of  desertion 
and  the  numerous  instances  of  broken  up  families 
due  to  the  departure  of  the  head  should  be  attrib- 
uted in  no  small  degree  to  this  type  of  labor 
migration. 

As  far  as  possible  a  survey  should  concern  it- 
self with  the  possibilities  for  shifting  labor  from  one 
industry  to  another,  and  within  reasonable  limits 
investigations  of  the  opportunities  presented  by  the 
labor  markets  of  nearby  communities  with  a  view  to 
labor  migration  and  exchange  should  be  carefully 
carried  on. 


PROTECTION  AGAINST  UNEMPLOYMENT 

Protection  against  unemployment  has  developed 
slowly  in  American  industries  and  has  depended 
largely  upon  private  initiative  and  such  foresight  as 
has  been  customary  with  labor  organizations  in  the 
nature  of  insurance  against  illness  and  accident. 
[26] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

But  generally  speaking  nothing  has  been  done  in 
the  way  of  providing  compulsory  insurance  against 
unemployment.  Some  questions  in  connection  with 
the  problems  of  unemployment  may  help  to  show 
what  the  problems  are : 

1.  What   is   the  usual  number  of  unemployed   at   certain 
periods  of  the  year? 

2.  What   organizations   and    societies   provide    for   mutual 
insurance  against  enforced  idleness? 

3.  What  is  the  number  of  working  people  who  have  de- 
posits in  various  banks? 

4.  What    is    the    average    deposit    per    worker   in    savings 
banks? 

5.  What  is  the  number  of  property  owning  workers  and 
what  is  the  average  valuation  of  property  per  worker? 

6.  Is  there  an  organization  which  lends  money  to  workers 
upon  notes  or  surety  on  a  reasonable  interest  without  intent 
of  gain? 

7.  Does   the  commmunity  ever  borrow  money  for  public 
works  which  are  purposely  rushed  during  times  of  depression? 

8.  Does   the   City  or  State  maintain  a   free  employment 
agency? 

9.  Is  a  city  yard  or  city  laundry  maintained  for  the  pur- 
pose of  giving  work  to  temporarily  unemployed? 

10.  Do  any  philanthropic  agencies  maintain  such  establish- 
ments? 

11.  What  is  the  full  employment  capacity  of  all  work-giv- 
ing agencies  and  what  is  the  maximum  and  minimum  number 
of  unemployed  during  the  year? 

12.  What  proportion  of  the  families  and  individuals  handled 
by  the  charitable  agencies,  private  and  public,  were  cases  due 
to  unemployment  caused  by  labor  conditions. 

It  will  be  found  that  many  of  the  answers  to 
these  questions  will  indicate  a  shortage  of  community 
responsibility  and  a  lack  of  adjustment  that  com- 
mands attention. 

[27] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

SAFETY  IN  EMPLOYMENT 

The  most  wasteful  and  most  criminal  negligence 
in  the  protection  of  our  human  resources  is  to  be 
found  in  the  flagrant  absence  of  proper  protection 
of  the  workers  in  the  pursuit  of  their  daily  labor 
in  mill  and  mine,  and  in  many  of  the  walks  of  life 
in  which  millions  of  workers  are  daily  taking  their 
risks.  This  protection  against  and  prevention  of 
industrial  accidents  have  recently  awakened  public 
interest.  The  failure  to  secure  proper  legislation 
and  volunteer  action  for  the  protection  of  the 
workers  against  industrial  accidents  has  been  due  not 
only  to  employers  but  also  to  the  workers  who  fear 
the  extra  burden  of  insurance.  The  public  mind, 
however,  is  coming  rapidly  to  realize  the  impor- 
tance not  only  of  insurance  against  accidents  and 
death,  but  that  the  prevention  of  accidents  is  of 
the  most  momentous  importance  to  modern  indus- 
try. Current  discussion  of  the  subject  found  in 
the  public  press,  the  frequent  references  to  it  from 
the  pulpit  and  the  professor's  chair  and  the  agita- 
tions carried  on  in  this  direction  by  leaders  in  social 
and  political  life,  clearly  show  that  public  senti- 
ment is  in  favor  of  insuring  protection  and  safety 
to  the  workers. 

In  connection  with  this  topic  questions  such  as 
these  might  be  asked  with  profit : 

1.  Is  there   any   compulsory   insurance   law   providing   for 
compensation    in    case    of    industrial    accidents    resulting    in 
disability  or  death  and  if  so  what  are  the  provisions? 
[28] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

2.  What  is  the  status  of  legislation  providing  for  proper 
protection  of  machinery? 

3.  Under  whose  jurisdiction  is  the  enforcement  of  these 
laws  placed? 

4.  What  is  the  number  and  nature  of  industrial  accidents 
that  have  occurred  during  the  last  year  or  two? 

5.  Are  the  laws  concerning  the  protection  of  machinery 
enforced  properly? 

6.  What   amounts   have  been  paid   to  industrial   accident 
victims  by   manufacturers,  insurance   companies,   charity   so- 
cieties, lodges  and  mutual  aid  societies  within  the  last  year 
or  two? 

7.  In  what  industries  have  most  of  the  accidents  occurred 
and  what  has  been  the  age  and  nationality  of  the  persons 
injured  or  killed? 

8.  How    many    persons    wholly    dependent    upon    injured 
workers  have  been  affected?     What  are  their  ages  and  social 
condition  ? 

9.  What  have  been  the  causes  of  the  different  accidents 
and  to  whom  have  they  been  attributed? 

10.  How  many  of  the  industrial  establishments  maintain  an 
emergency  department? 

Many  other  parallel  questions  are  sure  to  appear 
in  different  localities  which  might  be  followed  up 
with  profit,  but  the  general  lines  are  above  suggested. 

WELFARE  WORK 

A  keen  appreciation  of  welfare  work  done  under 
the  auspices  of  particular  establishments  for  the 
benefit  of  the  employees  has  been  realized  among 
many  of  the  leading  captains  of  industry  and  the 
results  have  shown  gains  not  only  in  improved  rela- 
tions between  employer  and  employee  but  also  in 
terms  of  increased  efficiency  among  workers.  An 
inventory  of  welfare  work  done  by  various  local 
[29] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

establishments  may  be  secured  by  gathering  facts 
concerning  the  following: 

1.  How  many  of  the  industrial  establishments  maintain  for 
the  use  of  their  employees  a  lunch  room,  rest  room,  baths, 
meeting  rooms,  club  rooms,  playgrounds,  settlement  houses,  a 
social  secretary   for  individual  work  particularly  with  girls, 
etc.,  and  what  is  the  character  of  each? 

2.  What  establishments  have  an  apprentice  system  for  the 
training   of   skilled  workers   and   what  class   of  persons   are 
usually  selected  as  apprentices? 

3.  Is  there  a  pension  fund  connected  with  any  of  the  in- 
dustrial establishments  and  what  are  its  conditions? 

4i.  What  establishments  maintain  a  system  of  volunteer 
insurance  or  free  medical  aid  in  case  of  sickness? 

5.  Are  there  any  special  funds  provided  by  industrial 
establishments  for  social  service  work  to  be  carried  on  for 
the  benefit  of  the  community  at  large? 

The  above  outline  of  an  industrial  survey  is  far 
from  being  complete,  but  the  questions  were  formu- 
lated with  the  aim  in  view  of  suggesting  in  the 
mind  of  the  reader  the  vital  industrial  problems 
which  have  an  immediate  effect  upon  the  community 
and  the  working  people. 

Welfare  work  carried  on  by  industrial  establish- 
ments has  frequently  created  antagonism  and  resent- 
ment among  employees.  Lack  of  proper  manage- 
ment and  a  narrow  point  of  view  may  defeat  the 
best  efforts  of  an  employer.  The  effect  that  such 
service  has  upon  the  workers  should  be  carefully 
studied. 


[SO] 


HEALTH 

The  last  century  has  been  a  period  of  human 
achievement,  the  present  century  promises  to  be  one 
of  human  improvement.  We  have  been  hoarding 
knowledge  and  wealth  and  boasting  of  what  the 
human  mind  is  capable  of  knowing  and  doing,  we 
are  now  ready  to  use  this  wealth  and  knowledge  and 
experience  for  the  general  improvement  of  the  race 
by  increasing  its  capacity  for  work,  service  and 
happiness.  In  a  word,  we  are  turning  from  the  ob- 
jective to  the  subjective  of  human  society. 

The  study  of  health  may  be  divided  into  three 
important  factors,  namely,  the  conditions  of  health 
that  exist,  the  factors  that  determine  the  condition 
of  health  and  the  laws  intended  to  promote  health. 
The  first  relates  to  mortality  and  morbidity,  the  sec- 
ond to  the  various  causes  of  sickness  and  death  and 
the  last  to  the  legislative  control  of  health. 

MORTALITY 

The  first  prerequisite  of  an  intelligent  health 
survey  is  the  ascertaining  of  the  health  conditions 
in  terms  of  measurable  quantities  expressed  in  sta- 
tistical formy'  Such  questions  as  these  should  be 
answered  in  the  preparation  of  a  survey  of  health 
conditions : 

[31], 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

1.  What  is  the  death  rate*   from   all  causes  in  the  com- 
munity according  to  ages,  sex  and  nationality  of  those  who 
died  within  a  period  of  one  or  two  years? 

2.  What  is  the  death  rate  by  nationality,  age  and  sex  in 
other  communities  of  the  same  size? 

3.  What  are  the  causes  of  deaths  by  nationality  or  race, 
by  age  and  sex  and  which  of  them  are  preventable?  2 

4.  What  is  the  death  rate  among  infants  under  one  and 
under  five  years  of  age,  by  nationality  and  sex? 

5.  Which  sections  of  the  community  show  the  highest  death 
rates  and  which  the  lowest? 

6.  Are  deaths   reported   accurately  to  the  authorities   and 
are  the  facts  published  regularly  and  intelligently? 

7.  Are  the  reports  discussed  in  the  daily  press  and  do  they 
attract  attention? 


MORBIDITY 

The  evils  and  suffering  caused  by  disease  when 
seen  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  family,  the 
danger  to  the  community  due  to  contagion,  the 
burden  upon  the  city  and  state  entailed  by  hospital 
care  and  upon  charitable  societies  dealing  with  the 
conditions  resulting  from  sickness  among  the  poor, 
are  more  serious  even  than  the  sad  and  often  un- 
necessary deaths. 

At  least  the  following  should  be  known  concern- 
ing the  morbidity  in  the  community: 

1.  What    is    the   number    of    persons    ill    with    contagious 
diseases  and  what  is  the  character  of  these  diseases? 

2.  What  epidemics  have  occurred  in  the  last  five  years  in 
the    community    and    have   causes    attributed    to    them    been 
removed? 

1  A  death  rate  is  the  number  of  deaths  in  a  1000  population. 

2  In  statistical  tables  relation  to  deaths  from  the  preventable  dis- 
eases  should  be   considered   separately. 

[32] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

3.  What  has  been  the  number  of  victims  of  the  epidemic 
and  how  many  recovered? 

4.  How  many  persons  have  received  free  treatment  in  hos- 
pitals and  dispensaries  in  the  last  year  and  for  what  diseases? 

5.  Do  any  particular  industries  show  a  larger  number  of 
cases  of  sickness  than  others,  what  is  the  character  of  the 
diseases,  and  are  they  contagious  or  not? 

6.  How  many  children  have  absented  themselves  from  school 
during  the  year  on  account  of  illness? 

7.  Have  the  schools  been  closed  during  the  year  on  account 
of  epidemics  and  for  how  long? 

8.  In  what  trades  have  women  shown  the  largest  amount 
of  illness  and  irregularity  of  work? 

With  the  material  accumulated  in  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  questions  above  indicated  the  survey  has 
reached  the  point  when  the  consideration  of  the  more 
specific  causes  of  ill-health  and  mortality  may  be 
considered. 

HOUSING 

The  housing  of  the  people  is  so  vital  a  factor  in 
determining1  the  health  of  the  community  and  its 
influence  is  so  closely  connected  with  the  moral  and 
social  atmosphere  that  it  deserves  special  attention. 
This  applies  equally  to  those  who  are  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  the  community  for  its  own  sake, 
and  to  those  who  calculate  their  social  service  in 
terms  of  increased  efficiency  in  the  daily  tasks  of 
the  workers,  and  savings  in  financial  responsibility 
both  towards  the  city  and  the  philanthropic  agencies 
of  the  community.  The  work  of  ascertaining  hous- 
ing conditions  of  the  people  should  therefore  be 
[33] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

done  with  the  utmost  care  and  the  results  weighed 
in  terms  of  health  as  well  as  in  terms  of  moral  stand- 
ards and  industrial  efficiency. 

These  are  some  of  the  aspects  of  housing  to  be 
considered : 

CONDITIONS  OF  TENEMENTS 

1.  Is  the  locality  a  community  of  homes  or  of  three  and 
four  or  more  family  houses  and  what  is  the  number  of  each 
type? 

2.  Are  the  families  crowded  in  small  tenements  and  what 
is    the   extent   of   the   crowding?     (Number  of   persons   per 
room,  crowding  in  the  bedrooms,  etc.) 

3.  What   is   the   average   proportion   between   rental   and 
family  income?     (If  this   cannot   be  ascertained,  the   rental 
per  tenement  by  number  of  rooms  in  some  characteristic  sec- 
tions should  be  considered.) 

4.  How    frequently   are   roomers    taken    in   to   piece   out 
rents? 

5.  Is  the  water  supply  in  the  homes  of  good  quality  and 
sufficient  for  the  use  of  the  families? 

6.  Is  there  a  sewer  system  and  is  it  connected  with  the 
tenements  in  all  parts  of  the  city;  if  not  what  is  the  number 
of  tenements  not  connected  and  the  number  of  families  and 
individuals  aifected? 

7.  What  is  the  character  of  the  toilets;  are  they  located 
in    apartments,   cellars,   halls,   basements   or   yards    and   are 
they    connected   with   the   sewer?     (Secure    facts    concerning 
each.) 

8.  Are  toilets  used  by  one  or  more  families  each  and  to 
what  extent  is  overcrowding  in  toilet  use  prevalent? 

9.  What  types  of  toilet  ventilation  are  prevalent? 

10.  To  what  extent  are  bathrooms  provided  in  tenements? 

11.  Is  household  refuse  removed  by  the  city  and  what  is  the 
method  and  frequency  of  removal? 

12.  How  frequent  are  windowless  rooms  in  tenements? 

13.  How  frequently  are  tenement  rooms  dark  because  of 

184] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

proximity  of  buildings,  lighting  through  airshafts  or  narrow 
courts  ? 

14.  Are   yards    provided   in   tenements   and   what   are   the 
prevailing  sizes? 

CONDITIONS  SURROUNDING  TENEMENTS 

1.  What  is  the  average  width  of  the  tenement  streets  and 
how  wide  are  the  sidewalks? 

2.  Are  the  streets  paved  and  what  is  the  type  of  pavement 
in  tenement  districts? 

3.  Are    streets    swept,   watered,    flushed    or    oiled    in    the 
tenement  districts  and  if  so  how  often  and  by  what  methods? 

4.  Are  there  playgrounds  in  the  tenement  districts? 

5.  Are  street  car  lines  common  in  the  tenement  districts 
and  is  the  use  of  the  streets  by  children  dangerous? 

6.  Are  saloons  common  in  the  tenement  districts  and  to 
what  extent  are  they  found  in  tenement  buildings? 

7.  Are  houses  of  prostitution  or  prostitutes  permitted  in 
the  neighborhood  of  or  within  tenements? 

8.  Are  the  tenements  in  the  proximity  of  the  factories  and 
are  they  affected  by  smoke,  gases  or  other  by-products  which 
might  be  injurious  to  health? 

9.  Are  there  in   the  proximity   of  tenements   swamps   or 
lowlands  which  breed  mosquitoes  or  produce  offensive  odors? 

10.  Are   noises    prevalent    in    the    tenement    districts    that 
could  be  reduced  or  avoided? 

11.  Are  abandoned  buildings  common  in  the  neighborhood 
and  are  they  protected  against  improper  use  by  tramps  and 
persons  of  questionable  character? 

ROOMING  HOUSES 

With  the  growth  of  industries  and  the  migration 
of  labor  from  one  center  to  another  has  come  a 
problem  of  housing  persons  living  away  from  their 
families,  which  in  many  cities  has  assumed  large 
proportions.  The  rooming  houses  and  the  hotel  are 
[35] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

the  places  which  largely  provide  homes  for  this  class 
of  population  and  the  consideration  of  these  hotels 
and  rooming  houses  should  receive  attention  in  the 
body  of  a  housing  survey.  The  problems  connected 
with  this  type  of  housing  can  be  stated  in  this  man- 
ner. 

1.  What  is  the  total  population  by  sex  living  away  from 
home? 

2.  What  is  the  number  of  rooming  houses  connected  with 
private  homes? 

3.  What  is  the  number  of  hotels  and  public  rooming  houses 
and  what  is  the  method  used  in  conducting  them? 

4.  Are  they  controlled  by  local  or  state  legislation,  what 
is  the  character  of  this  legislation  and  what   authority  en- 
forces it? 

5.  Are  there  any  special  rooming  houses  provided  by  philan- 
thropic agencies  and  what  is  their  capacity? 

6.  Are  there  houses  or  tenements  in  which  men  keep  house 
without  women  and  what  is  their  number  and  condition? 

7.  What  is  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  rooming  houses 
and  hotels?     (Use   as    a   basis    for  study   the   questions   on 
conditions  of  tenement  houses.) 

OWNERSHIP  OF  HOMES 

Closely  connected  with  housing  conditions  is  the 
rate  of  home  ownership  existing  in  the  community. 
Ownership  determines  not  alone  the  condition  of 
the  homes,  but  the  stability  of  the  population,  the 
standard  of  citizenship  and  self-respect.  The  main 
questions  in  connection  with  this  subject  to  be  asked 
are  as  follows: 

1.  How  many  families  own  their  own  homes? 
.[36] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

2.  Is  the  tendency  to  own  homes  on  the  increase  or  on 
the  decrease? 

3.  Are  the  individually  owned  homes  on  the  average  better 
than  the  homes  owned  by  other  persons  or  corporations? 

4.  What  is  the  general  character,  size,  building  material, 
and  architecture  of  individually  owned  homes? 

5.  What  is  the  average  assessed  valuation  of  the  individ- 
ually owned  workingmen's  homes? 

6.  What  is  the  per  cent  of  individually  owned  homes  free 
from  mortgages? 

7.  Are   mortgages   on   homes    taxed   separately   from   the 
property  itself? 

8.  What  are  the  building  associations  that  promote  indi- 
vidual home  building? 

9.  What  are  the  practices  of  the  local  banks  with  regard 
to  loaning  money  on  mortgages  or  for  building  purposes? 

10.  To  what  extent  do  the  mills  provide  houses  for  their 
employees  ? 


As  may  be  seen  from  the  above  general  consid- 
eration of  the  subject  the  problems  of  housing  may 
be  segregated  into  three  groups,  namely : 

a.  Sanitation  which  determines  to  a  considerable 
extent  the  health  and  efficiency  of  the  workers. 

b.  Congestion  which  has  to  do  with  sanitation  as 
well  as  the  morals  of  the  tenants. 

c.  Ownership    which   largely    influences    the   sta- 
bility, thrift  and  citizenship   of  the  population. 

When  facts  concerning  the  housing  conditions 
have  been  collected  and  so  arranged  as  to  give  a 
clear  conception  of  the  problem,  a  thorough  study 
of  the  laws  relating  to  housing,  sanitation  and 
house  building  should  be  made.  This  can  best  be 
done  by  persons  familiar  with  handling  legislation 
[37] 


Knowing'    One's    Own    Community 

and  with  the  building  trade.  Whenever  it  seems 
apparent  that  the  building  laws  are  insufficient  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  community  an  examination  of 
the  aspects  left  without  legal  provision  should  be 
included  in  the  survey.  When  the  laws  in  existence 
do  not  seem  to  be  enforced  much  profit  may  be  de- 
rived from  an  examination  of  the  aspects  of  hous- 
ing legislation  unenforced  and  a  consideration  of 
the  machinery  provided  for  its  enforcement  should 
be  made  from  the  following  points  of  view: 

1.  Is    the  machinery   and   appropriation   provided   for  •  the 
enforcement  of  the  law  sufficient  to  meet  the  local  needs? 

2.  Is    the   law   clear  and  definite   enough   to  empower  the 
officials  to  enforce  it? 

3.  Are  the  officers  efficient  and  honest  in  the  performance 
of  their  duty? 

These  three  questions  should  be  applied  as  a  test 
to  all  legislation  dealing  with  social  conditions  and 
whenever  possible  the  officials  concerned  should  be 
consulted  and  their  work  examined  with  a  view  to  se- 
curing facts  and  whenever  possible,  co-operation. 

RELATION  OF  HOMES  TO  THE  COMMUNITY 

In  the  foregoing  sections  dealing  with  housing 
the  individual  building  is  considered  as  an  inde- 
pendent entity,  without  any  close  relationship  to 
other  buildings  or  the  neighborhood.  Strictly 
speaking  this  has  been  the  prevailing  point  of  view 
in  most  housing  reform  movements  which  have  found 
their  most  concrete  expression  in  legislation  and  in- 
[38] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

spection.  Accessibility  to  place  of  employment, 
educational,  cultural  and  amusement  centers,  mar- 
keting facilities  to  insure  a  cheap  food  supply  have 
not  received  the  attention  they  deserve  in  a  broad 
treatment  of  the  housing  problem.  "  The  City 
Beautiful "  as  expressed  by  the  "  town  planning  " 
movements  have  found  little  favor  with  the  housing 
reformers  and  still  less  with  the  local  governments 
and  real  estate  interests.  The  cost  of  land  and  con- 
struction of  houses  has  not  been  studied  with  a  view 
to  developing  constructive  policies  whereby  houses 
may  be  built  cheaply  and  rental  rates  maintained 
on  a  scale  which  would  make  possible  good  houses 
for  all,  yielding  a  reasonable  return  upon  invest- 
ments without  placing  an  unreasonable  burden  upon 
the  tenants. 

These  are  important  problems  to  solve  and 
studies  along  these  may  be  started  by  answering  the 
following  questions : 

1.  What   transportation    facilities    are   the   street    car    and 
railway  systems  providing  to  facilitate  the  transportation  of 
employees  ? 

2.  Are  reduced  fares  for  working  people  provided? 

3.  Are  the  outlying  districts  provided  with  adequate  trans- 
portation facilities  so  as  to  make  access  to  amusement  and 
cultural  centers  easy  and  cheap? 

4.  What  are  the  differences  in  the  average  cost  of  staple 
foods  between  the  congested  sections  and  the  outlying  dis- 
tricts? 

5.  Is  the  city   following   a  carefully  worked   out  plan   in 
its  development  of  streets,  parks,  playgrounds,  etc.,  or  are 
the  real  estate  interests  the  main  factor  in  the  development 
of  the  community? 

[39] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

6.  Are  large  tracts  of  land  being  opened  up  for  residential 
purposes  and  what  steps  are  being  taken  by  the  community 
to  insure  symmetry,  open  spaces,  etc.? 

7.  Can  individual  homes  be  built  at  a  sufficiently  low  cost  to 
make  possible  reasonable  rents  and  a  fair  return  upon  the 
investment?     If  not,  why? 

INDUSTRIAL  SANITATION 

In  the  earlier  part  of  this  bulletin  the  problems 
of  protection  against  industrial  accidents  which  re- 
sult in  injury  and  death  were  discussed.  Industrial 
sanitation  deals  with  the  broader  aspects  of  health 
as  related  to  employment,  namely  the  physical  in- 
jury that  results  from  the  conditions  under  which 
the  work  is  being  done. 

The  human  waste  which  results  from  the  lack  of 
scientific  methods  in  the  protection  of  the  health  and 
life  of  American  wage  earners  has  been  variously 
estimated  in  dollars  and  cents.  The  mortality  rate 
due  to  causes  directly  connected  with  employment 
place  the  United  States  among  the  most  careless 
nations  of  the  civilized  world.  It  is  about  time, 
therefore,  that  a  far-reaching  constructive  policy  be 
adopted  by  the  individual  states  or  the  Federal 
Government  whereby  a  higher  value  would  be  placed 
upon  human  life  and  the  usefulness  of  the  individual 
worker  in  the  field  of  industry  be  prolonged  in  time 
and  increased  in  efficiency.  The  lesson  of  Europe 
is  before  us  and  we  have  only  to  learn.  Movements 
in  this  direction  have  been  started  already,  but  each 
community  must  contribute  its  share  of  interest  and 
enthusiasm. 

[40] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

The  larger  share  of  the  worker's  time  is  spent  in 
the  home  and  in  the  factory,  and  it  may  safely  be 
estimated  that  on  the  average  as  much  time  is  spent 
in  the  place  of  employment  as  is  spent  in  the  home. 
It  is  reasonable,  therefore,  to  place  the  sanitary 
conditions  of  the  industrial  establishment  as  next 
in  importance  to  housing  sanitation. 

The  important  sanitary  aspects  of  the  industrial 
establishments  may  be  ascertained  by  investigations 
intended  to  answer  the  following  questions : 

1.  What  proportion  of  the  workers  in  each  of  the  prin- 
cipal industries  are  employed  in-doors  and  what  proportion 
are  employed  out  of  doors? 

2.  What   are  the  sanitary  regulations   provided  by   state 
laws  affecting  industrial  establishments? 

3.  What  local   legislation  regulates   the   sanitation  in   in- 
dustrial establishments,  and  what  are  the  legislative  powers 
of  the  locality  in  matters  of  health? 

4.  What  officers  are  charged  with  the  enforcement  of  the 
laws?     (Give  title  and  number  of  state  and  local  officers,  sal- 
aries, method  and' term  of  appointment,  etc.) 

5.  Are  the  laws  enforced  and  if  not  who  is  responsible  for 
the  failure  to  enforce  them? 

6.  How  do  the  industrial  sanitary  laws  of  your  locality 
compare  with  similar  laws  in  other  communities  of  the  same 
size  but  in  different  states,  particularly  in  New  York  and 
Massachusetts? 

7.  What  is  the  extent  of  manufacture  carried  on  in  tene- 
ment buildings  or  other  structures  not  intended  as  industrial 
establishments  ? 

8.  What  are  the  hours  during  which  women  and  children 
are  permitted  to  work  in  industrial  establishments? 

9.  Are  workers  crowded  in  factory  buildings? 

10.  At  what  age  are  children  permitted  to  begin  work? 

11.  Are   sweatshops   common   and  what   are   the   products 
manufactured  in  them? 

[41] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

A  study  of  the  laws  relating  to  sanitary  regula- 
tions in  factories  and  shops  will  bring  the  various 
aspects  of  the  subject  to  the  attention  of  anyone 
making  a  survey.  The  enumeration  of  the  ques- 
tions involved  in  a  study  of  this  kind  in  full  would 
render  this  section  wholly  out  of  proportion  with  the 
rest  of  this  publication.  The  reader  should  be 
guided  in  the  consideration  of  this  subject  by  the 
laws  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  which,  al- 
though not  ideal,  are  among  the  best  so  far  avail- 
able in  the  United  States. 


SCHOOL  SANITATION 

While  the  industrial  workers  are  spending  a  large 
share  of  their  time  in  the  shops,  factories  and  mines, 
the  children  over  a  certain  age  (generally  seven 
years)  are  at  school  and  although  the  school  hours 
are  not  quite  as  long  as  the  hours  of  labor,  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  time  in  the  child's  life  is  spent 
upon  the  seats  of  the  class  room,  in  contact  with 
other  children  and  subject  to  the  influence  of  the 
sanitary  conditions  of  the  school  building.  That 
the  public  schools  are  not  always  provided  with  the 
best  sanitary  devices  and  are  not  beyond  reproach 
in  matters  of  possibility  for  contagion  and  phys- 
ical injury  to  the  child,  is  a  fact  so  very  generally 
accepted  that  even  a  superficial  survey  of  commu- 
nity health  is  not  complete  without  a  consideration 
of  the  subject  of  school  sanitation. 
[42] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

Some  of  the  questions  to  be  asked  in  connection 
with  the  sanitary  conditions  of  public  schools  are 
as  follows: 

(X 

1.  Is  medical  inspection  in  schools  provided  by  the  local 
government  ? 

2.  Is  the  inspection  done  only  for  children  that  are  pointed 
out  by  the  teachers,  or  for  every  pupil  in  the  schools? 

3.  What  proportion  of  all  the  children  in  the  schools  were 
examined  last  year?     What  was  the  number  of  cases  of  ill- 
ness discovered  and  what  was  the  character  of  the  diseases? 

4.  Do  the  school  teachers  see  to  it  that  the  children  re- 
ceive the  medical  care  prescribed  by  the  medical  examiner? 

5.  Are  school  nurses  or  school  visitors  who  look  after  the 
medical    care    of    the    children    after    medical    examination 
maintained?     If  so,  are  they  paid  or  volunteer  workers,  and 
what  is  the  number  of  each? 

6.  Is  there  dental  examination  in  schools  and  what  is  the 
method  of  examination  pursued? 

7.  Are  examinations  for  eye  strain  and  other  defects  of 
the  eyes  made  by  the  general  medical  examiner  or  an  oculist? 

8.  Is  the  number  of  seats  provided  in  the  school  rooms 
sufficient  to  accommodate  all  the  children  and  what  type  of 
extra  seats  are  used? 

9.  Are  the  seats  adjustable  in  the  school  rooms  and  are 
they  properly  adjusted? 

10.  Are   the   systems   of   ventilation   in   use    adequate    and 
understood  by  the  caretakers?     (Consult  medical  inspectors, 
teachers,  builders  and  janitors.) 

11.  What  is   the   size  of  play   space  connected   with   each 
school? 

12.  Do  the  schools  have  baths? 

13.  Do  the  schools  furnish  free  or  cheap  lunches  for  under- 
fed children? 

14.  Are   open   air    schools    for   tuberculous    and   physically 
subnormal  children  maintained,  and  if  so  what  is  the  number 
of  classes,  the  number  of  children,  and  the  location  of  these 
schools  ? 

[43] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

15.  Are  the  open  air  schools  sufficient  to  accommodate  all 
the  children  in  need  of  such  treatment? 

16.  Are   the   toilets   sewer   connected   and    properly    venti- 
lated? 

17.  Have  the  common  drinking  cup  and  towel  been  abolished? 

In  formulating  the  above  questions  an  attempt 
has  been  made  to  emphasize  the  conditions  which 
are  most  obvious  and  which  could  be  ascertained 
by  any  interested  citizen.  The  newer  movements  in 
the  direction  of  school  hygiene,  such  as  the  examina- 
tion of  the  eyes  and  teeth,  open  air  schools,  etc., 
have  been  called  to  mind  in  order  to  indicate  the 
work  that  is  being  done  in  some  of  the  more  pro- 
gressive cities  and  towns  of  this  country. 

SANITARY  CONTROL 

A  survey  of  the  general  sanitary  conditions  of  a 
locality  as  distinct  from  the  facts  relating  to  mor- 
tality and  morbidity  which  were  discussed  in  the 
section  dealing  with  the  general  subject  of  com- 
munity health,  if  exhaustive  should  be  undertaken 
by  a  sanitary  engineer  or  someone  acquainted  with 
the  technical  problems  of  health.  It  is  possible, 
however,  to  suggest  some  of  the  important  condi- 
tions of  community  health  which  may  be  studied  by 
any  member  of  a  survey  committee  with  satisfactory 
results.  These  problems  are: 

General  questions. 

1.  Is  the  locality  sewer  connected  throughout  and,  if  not, 
which  parts  are  not  sewer  connected? 

[44] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

2.  Is  the  water  supply  of  good  quality,  and  are  tests  of  the 
condition  of  the  water  made  regularly  by  the  local  or  state 
health  authorities,  and  if  so  how  often  and  in  what  manner? 

3.  Is  the  house  refuse  removed  by  the  local  authorities,  and 
if  so,  how  often  and  in  what  manner? 

4.  Are  the  streets  regularly  cleaned,  and  what  is  the  au- 
thority in  charge  of  the  work? 

5.  Are    the   smoke,   dust    and    gases    emanating    from    the 
manufacturing  establishments   controlled  by  legislation,  and 
is  the  legislation  enforced? 

Contagious  Diseases. 

1.  Are  tuberculous  cases  reported  to  the  health  authorities, 
and  what  agencies  are  engaged  in  following  them  up? 

2.  Are  advanced  cases   of  tuberculosis   cared   for  in  hos- 
pitals especially  provided   for  that  purpose  or  in  wards  set 
aside  in  general  hospitals,  and  are  accommodations  sufficient 
to  meet  the  local  needs? 

3.  Are  sanitaria  available  for  incipient  tuberculous  patients 
and  have  they  sufficient  capacity  to  accommodate  all  those  in 
need  of  such  care? 

4.  Can    the    health    authorities    compel    the    removal    of    a 
tuberculous    patient   to    a   hospital    when    dangerous    to    the 
health  of  the  members  of  the  family? 

5.  What  other  contagious  diseases  besides  tuberculosis  are 
reported  to  the  health  authorities;  how  and  where,  in  cases 
of  isolation,  are  these  cases  cared  for? 

6.  Is  fumigation  or  other  method  of  disinfection  practiced 
after  the  removal,  recovery  or  death  of  the  patient  in  the 
home? 

The  Food  Supply. 

1.  Is  there  any  inspection  of  milk  in  your  community,  what 
are  the  laws  concerning  milk,  and  under  whose  jurisdiction 
is  the  work  done? 

2.  Is  the  inspection  done  without  licensing  the  dealer,  or  by 
a  system  of  license  which  is  based  upon  inspection  of  the 
sources  of  milk? 

3.  Is  there  meat  inspection  in  the  State,  and  in  what  man- 
ner is  the  inspection  done  in  your  locality? 

[45] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

4.  Are   bread   stuffs,   candy,    fruit,   ice   cream,   etc.,   under 
inspection  and  what  is  the  law  concerning  such  inspection? 

5.  What  other  classes   of  food   are  inspected  by  local   or 
State  authorities? 

6.  Is  there  a  pure  food  and  drug  law  in  your  State,  and 
how  is  it  enforced  in  your  locality? 

7.  By  whom  and  in  what  manner  is  the  federal  Pure  Food 
Law  enforced? 

In  dealing  with  health  problems  the  simplest  and 
most  vital  questions  have  been  considered.  The 
more  technical  problems,  however,  have  been  indi- 
rectly suggested  with  a  view  to  enlarging  the  scope 
of  the  inquiry  through  experts  when  conditions  war- 
rant such  action. 


RECREATION  AND  AMUSEMENTS 

Recreation  is  the  safety  valve  of  civilization,  it 
is  the  nightmare  and  ideal  of  modern  society,  it  is 
the  balancing  medium  between  the  strain  of  daily 
toil  and  the  normal,  physical,  and  mental  functions, 
it  is  the  protector  of  human  society  and  the  train- 
ing ground  for  the  criminal  and  degenerate.  A 
community  that  tolerates  prostitution  without  con- 
trol, allows  the  saloon  to  take  the  place  of  the  play- 
ground and  the  home,  closes  the  doors  of  its  schools 
for  more  than  half  the  time,  and  compels  the  chil- 
dren to  find  their  amusements  upon  the  streets  and 
back  alleys  is  producing  its  own  criminals,  is  de- 
stroying the  integrity  of  the  family  and  injuring  the 
industrial  efficiency  of  its  workers.  That  recrea- 
tion is  needed  is  a  truism  that  has  become  a  gospel 
[46] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

in  modern  social  reform;  the  quality  of  the  recrea- 
tion must  be  determined  by  the  community  itself. 

The  main  aspects  of  the  recreation  facilities  of 
a  community  may  be  ascertained  through  the  follow- 
ing inquiries: 

1.  Is  the  locality  license  or  no  license? 

2.  If  license,  what  are  the  conditions  for  obtaining  a  li- 
cense?    "What  is  the  number  of  saloons,  and  are  they  located 
in  the  residential,  tenement  or  factory  districts? 

3.  How  common  is  the  practice  of  renting  rooming  in  con- 
nection with  the  saloons? 

4.  Are  women  and  children  allowed  to  go  into  the  saloons 
and  under  what  restrictions? 

5.  If  the  locality  is  no  license,  is  liquor  sold  in  any  par- 
ticular establishments  and  in  what  manner? 

6.  Are    houses    of    prostitution    or    assignation    permitted 
or  tolerated? 

7.  Is    street    soliciting    by    prostitutes    tolerated    by    the 
police  ? 

8.  Are  rooming  houses  under  police  supervision,  and  if  not 
what  is  the  consensus  of  opinion  concerning  the  moral  con- 
dition of  the  rooming  houses? 

9.  Are  the  dance  halls  under  police  supervision,  and  what 
is  the  moral  condition  that  prevails  in  such  dance  halls? 

10.  Are    dance    halls    connected    with    saloons    or    rooming 
facilities  or  both  and  what  is  the  condition  of  these  saloons 
and  rooming  facilities? 

11.  What  is  the  age  limit  for  men  and  women  permitted  to 
use  the  dance  halls? 

12.  By  whom  and  how  are  the  regulations  concerning  the 
saloons,  rooming  houses  and  dance  halls  enforced? 

13.  What  legal  restrictions  are  placed  upon   theaters   and 
moving  picture  shows   and  what  department  enforces  those 
legal  restrictions? 

The    saloon,    the    dance    hall    and    the    rooming 
house,  combined  with  the  dangers  of  prostitution, 
[47] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

present  the  most  important  problems  of  recreation 
and  amusement  that  exist  in  a  community.  In  con- 
junction with  these  problems  the  cheap  theater,  the 
summer  amusement  resort,  and  the  opportunities  af- 
forded by  the  indiscriminate  running  of  steamer  ex- 
cursions upon  which  the  liquor  traffic  is  not  con- 
trolled, the  careless  renting  of  state  rooms,  and  lack 
of  supervision  in  the  conduct  of  excursionists,  may 
also  form  part  of  the  survey  of  the  amusement  and 
recreation  facilities.  The  objectionable  conditions 
in  the  latter  types  of  amusement  are  so  obvious  as  to 
require  no  outline  of  investigation. 

With  the  most  important  amusement  facilities 
of  a  public  nature  considered,  we  may  proceed  to 
the  consideration  of  another  class  of  amusement 
which  is  generally  provided  by  the  community  or 
some  private  agency  for  the  purpose  of  counter- 
acting the  evil  effects  of  the  saloon,  the  dance  hall 
and  the  cheap  theater.  The  public  assets  and  lia- 
bilities in  providing  recreation  and  amusements  may 
be  ascertained  by  a  study  of  the  following: 

1.  What  park  facilities  are  provided  by  the  community? 
What  are  the  distances  from  the  residence  and  tenement  dis- 
tricts and  what  is  the  fare  to  these  parks? 

2.  Are  grounds  for  ball  and  other  games  for  adults  fur- 
nished by  the  community? 

3.  Are   playgrounds    for   children   provided    by    the   com- 
munity or  by  private  agencies  or  both;  how  are  they  super- 
vised, what  is  the  cost  of  their  maintenance  per  year,  what 
is  the  attendance  during  various  seasons  of  the  year,  what 
is  the  equipment  and  are  they  located  where  they  are  most 
needed? 

[48] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

4.  Are  the  school  buildings  provided  with  playgrounds;  if 
so  are  the  children  permitted  to  use  them  in  the  summer  and 
are  they  supervised? 

5.  Are   free  concerts  in  parks,  playgrounds  and  schools 
provided  by  the  community? 

6.  Have   moving    picture    shows,   theatrical    performances 
and  other  amusements  been  introduced  into  the  public  schools? 

7.  Have  games  been  introduced  into  the  work  of  the  public 
schools  ? 

8.  What  is  the  total  amount  of  money  spent  by  the  city  or 
town  for  public  recreation  as  compared  with  the  expenditures 
for  fire  protection,  courts,  jails,  etc.? 

9.  Are    the    public    recreation    facilities    available    to   the 
public  on  Sunday  and  if  not,  what  is  the  main  reason  for  the 
closing  on  Sunday? 

10.  What  private  agencies  provide  free  recreation  and 
amusement  facilities,  and  what  is  the  character  of  the  facili- 
ties provided?  What  is  the  yearly  expense,  attendance,  etc.? 

The  study  of  public  recreation  and  amusements 
should  lead  the  survey  committee  not  only  to  ascer- 
tain the  existing  facilities,  but  also  to  inquire  into 
the  possibilities  and  resources  available  which  could 
be  used  in  extending  the  service  of  the  local  gov- 
ernment and  of  such  volunteer  agencies  as  may  be 
available.  The  finding  of  such  possibilities  and 
resources  must,  however,  be  left  entirely  to  the  dis- 
cretion and  intelligence  of  the  committee  and  its 
workers. 


[49] 


EDUCATION 

The  subject  of  education  in  a  community  is  one  so 
generally  of  common  concern  and  touches  so  many 
aspects  of  community  life  that  little  need  be  said  in 
favor  of  including  a  study  of  the  educational  facil- 
ities in  the  body  of  a  social  survey. 

Education  is  the  most  powerful  agency  in  mod- 
ern democracy.  It  is  the  only  means  of  social 
progress  that  has  remained  unquestioned  and  the 
public  school  still  stands  as  the  purest  example  of  a 
democratic  institution  which  is  ready  to  rise  to 
heights  that  so  far  have  not  been  fully  appreciated 
and  upon  the  organization  and  efficiency  of  which 
depends  "  the  harmonizing  of  individual  effort  with 
the  effort  of  all,"  as  Michelet  puts  it. 

A  study  of  the  educational  facilities  of  a  com- 
munity, to  be  exhaustive,  would  necessitate  the  ad- 
vice of  an  educator  and  the  experience  of  a  person 
familiar  with  the  details  of  modern  school  adminis- 
tration. Such  aid,  however,  is  beyond  the  reach  of 
a  small  community,  and  the  work  must  be  done  by 
laymen  whose  opinion  concerning  the  fitness  and  ef- 
ficiency of  educational  work  must  be  based  upon 
concrete  simple  facts,  clearly  and  closely  related  to 
the  problems  of  education. 
[50] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

The  whole  subject  of  education  may  be  divided 
into  three  main  parts,  namely,  Schools  and  Col- 
leges, Libraries  and  Reading  Rooms,  and  other 
educational  agencies. 

SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES 

In  the  consideration  of  schools  and  colleges  there 
are  four  important  questions  to  be  considered: 

1.  Administration,  dealing  with  methods  of  han- 
dling the  affairs  of  the  schools. 

2.  School  Service  and  Community  Needs,   deal- 
ing with  the  educational  needs  of  the  community 
from  the  point  of  view  of  the  number  and  charac- 
ter of  the  people  to  be  trained,  and  the  relations  be- 
tween   the    existing    educational    facilities    and    the 
training  needed  to   meet   the   social  and  industrial 
demands. 

3.  Efficiency,  dealing  with  the  type  of  work  done 
by  the  schools,  the  returns  for  money  invested  in 
education,  etc. 

With  these  three  lines  of  inquiry  in  view,  let  us 
consider  some  of  the  most  important  questions  bear- 
ing on  each. 

ADMINISTRATION. 

1.  How  are  the  members  of  the  school  committee  or  school 
board  elected  or  appointed?  What  is  their  number,  how  long 
do  they  serve,  how  are  they  paid?  What  active  committees 
and  sub-committees  have  been  appointed,  what  are  their 
duties,  how  long  have  they  served,  what  have  they  accom- 
plished? 

[51] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

2.  What  is  the  total  expense  for  public  education,  is  the 
money  derived  from  a  special  tax  or  from  the  general  public 
funds,  is  the  county  or  state  assisting  in  the  expenses  and  for 
what  purposes  is  this  assistance  given? 

3.  In    what    proportion    are    the    expenditures    on    public 
schools    distributed    between   teachers'   salaries,   maintenance, 
repairs,  construction,  etc.? 

4.  Is  the  system  of  accounting  connected  with  the  public 
schools  department  up  to  date  and  efficient? 

5.  Are  school  books   furnished  by  the  school  department, 
and   what  is   the  system  of  buying   and   distributing    books 
in  use? 

6.  Is    a   truant    department   maintained,   and   what   is   its 
organization,   relation   to   the   school   department,  method   of 
work  and  legal  backing,  number  of  truant  officers,  salaries, 
etc.? 

SCHOOL  SERVICE  AND  COMMUNITY  NEEDS 

1.  What  is  the  total  capacity  of  the  different  grades  in 
the  public  schools,  what  is  the  number  of  children  in  each 
grade,   are  children  in   the  higher   grades   or  higher  schools 
ever  rejected  because  of  lack  of  room? 

2.  What  is  the  average  number  of  pupils  per  teacher  in 
each  grade,  and  are  cases  of  overcrowded  classes  common? 

3.  Are  schools  for  feeble  minded,  backward,  defective  and 
crippled   children   maintained,   are  they   sufficiently   large   to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  community?     How  are  children  com- 
mitted to  these  schools? 

4.  What  schools   for  industrial  or  professional  education 
are   maintained,   what   is    their   character,   capacity,   cost   of 
maintenance  ? 

5.  What  institutions  for  higher  learning  are  found  in  the 
community  which  have  official  recognition  and  are  intended 
to   meet   the   educational   needs   of  the   community,   what   is 
their  capacity,  organization  and  cost  of  maintenance? 

6.  Are  kindergartens  maintained  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  poorer  sections  of  the  community,  and  if  so  what  is  their 
number  and  capacity? 

7.  Are    evening    schools    for    foreigners,    ignorant    of    the 

[52] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

English  language,  maintained,  what  is   the   attendance,  cost 
of  maintenance,  organization,  etc.? 

8.  Are  evening  schools  and  public  lectures  for  adults  main- 
tained,   what    was    their    character,    number    and    attendance 
during  the  last  school  year? 

9.  Is  industrial  education  part  of  the  school  curriculum, 
is  it  compulsory  or  optional,  what  are  the  trades  taught  and 
how  long  are  the  courses? 

10.  What   industrial   schools    are   maintained    by    the   com- 
munity and  by  private  agencies  for  the  purposes  of  meeting 
the  industrial  needs  of  the  community,  what  is  their  capacity 
and  what  number  of  their  pupils  have  gone  into  the  local 
industries  as  skilled  workers  within  the  last  five  or  ten  years? 

11.  Is  any  effort  being  made  to  adjust  the  common  school 
to  the  obvious  needs  of  the  local  industries? 

12.  Are    scholarships    and    apprenticeships    for    industrial 
education  in  schools  and  shops  available  to  the  pupils  of  the 
public  schools,  what  is  their  purpose  and  character? 

EFFICIENCY. 

1.  What  are  the  requirements  for  teachers'  certificates  in 
each  grade? 

2.  What  are  the  salary  schedules   for  teachers  and  prin- 
cipals ? 

3.  What    has    been    the    training    and    experience    of    the 
superintendent  and  the  principals  of  the  various  schools. 

4.  What   was   the   number   of   repeaters   last   year  in   the 
various    graded    schools    and    what,    in    the    opinion    of    the 
Superintendent  of  Schools  and  the  school  committee,  are  the 
main  causes  that  produce  repeaters? 

5.  What  is  the  cost  to  the  community  of  the  repeaters  in 
proportion  to  total  expense  upon  school  maintenance? 

6.  Are   defective   and   backward   children   sent   to   special 
schools  or  are  they  retained  in  the  regular  classes? 

7.  Are  special   classes   for  foreign  children  unacquainted 
with  the  English  language  maintained? 

8.  Are    school    reports    published    regularly,    and    do    the 
reports    deal   with    the    distribution    of   expenditures,    school 
population,  number   of   pupils   dropped    from   the   rolls,   re- 

[53] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

peaters,  absences  and  truancy,  appointments  and  changes  of 
teachers  in  various  grades  and  needs  of  the  department  with 
comprehensive  evidence  as  to  such  needs? 

9.  Are  facilities  and  rules  for  reporting  class  room  con- 
ditions provided  and  what  is  the  system  followed? 

In  connection  with  the  general  consideration  of 
the  public  school  system  a  study  of  the  colleges  and 
universities  in  the  locality  may  be  undertaken  with 
a  view  to  ascertaining  whether  the  facilities  offered 
by  these  institutions  may  be  of  service  to  the  public 
schools  and  in  what  manner  this  service  can  be  se- 
cured. In  some  instances  special  courses  for  the 
purpose  of  assisting  the  teachers  in  service  to  keep 
in  touch  with  the  newer  movements  and  ideas  on  edu- 
cation may  be  introduced  into  Universities  and  Col- 
leges, if  the  needs  are  properly  ascertained  and 
clearly  presented. 

LIBRARIES 

An  agency  for  public  education  which  is  coming 
more  and  more  to  be  a  guiding  force  in  the  life  of 
the  community  is  the  public  library  and  within  re^ 
cent  years  it  has  fully  justified  its  prominence  as  a 
social  factor.  A  few  questions  relating  to  libraries 
may  be  asked  with  profit: 

1.  What    is    the   number    of   libraries    in    the   community, 
what  is  the  size  of  their  book  collections,  what  is  the  number 
of  readers,  the  hours  of  service,  etc.? 

2.  Are  the  congested  sections  provided  with  proper  library 
facilities  and  what  are  the  most  distant  points  in  the  com- 
munity from  any  library? 

[54] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

3.  Under  what  conditions  are  books  loaned  to  readers? 

4.  Are  home  libraries  or  some  other  methods  of  depositing 
small  collections  of  books  in  private  homes,  settlements,  etc., 
provided? 

5.  What  is  the  number  of  private  book  collections  at  the 
disposal  of  the  public? 

6.  Are  the  schools  provided  with  small  deposits  of  books 
for  the  use  of  teachers  and  pupils,  and  are  similar  deposits 
available  in  factories  and  stores? 

7.  Are  books  on  subjects  related  to  special  industries  car- 
ried on  in  the  locality  reserved  in  the  libraries  for  the  special 
use  of  workers  and  students? 

8.  Are  notices  of  new  books  and  other  library   facilities 
published  often  in  the  press   for  the  purpose  of  attracting 
readers  ? 

9.  Are    exhibits    held    and    public    lectures    given    in    the 
libraries? 

10.  Do  any  of  the  local  libraries  provide  facilities  for  se- 
curing information  for  readers  not  expert  in  the  use  of 
books  and  libraries  and  what  is  the  nature  of  these  facil- 
ities? 

PRIVATE  EDUCATIONAL  AGENCIES 

Aside  from  the  public  school,  the  College,  Uni- 
versity and  the  library  almost  any  community  of- 
fers certain  educational  opportunities  which  are 
worthy  of  note  and  which  can  often  be  made  more 
efficient  and  broadened  in  service  by  a  more  gen- 
eral knowledge  of  their  existence  and  co-operation 
with  other  private  or  public  agencies.  The  nature 
of  some  of  these  agencies  is  suggested  in  the  follow- 
ing questions : 

1.  What  is  the  number  of  social  settlements  in  the  com- 
munity, what  is  the  nature  of  their  work,  how  are  they 

[55] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

maintained,   are   they   located  where  they   are  most   needed, 
etc.? 

2.  Are  there  historical,  botanical  and  zoological  collections, 
industrial  and  art  museums  or  any  other   facilities   for  the 
exhibition  of  objects  of  educational  and  artistic  value? 

3.  Are  public  lectures  offered  by  any  agencies  and  what  is 
the  character  of  these  lectures? 

4.  Are  the  churches  doing  any  educational  work  aside  from 
their  religious  services  and  if  so  what  is  the  nature  and  extent 
of  work  done? 

5.  What    are    the    special    private   educational    institutions 
maintained  in  the  community,  what  is  their  scope,  capacity 
and  extent  of  work? 

6.  Are  any  of  the  private  educational  agencies  assisted  by 
the  local   government,   county   or   State,   and   if   so  to   what 
extent  and   for  what  purpose? 

Particular  communities  will  probably  present  spe- 
cial facilities  and  problems,  and,  although  consider- 
able ground  can  be  covered  by  following  the  out- 
line above  suggested,  much  valuable  information 
will  be  secured  in  the  course  of  the  inquiry  which 
will  have  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  subjects  herein 
considered  but  which  cannot  be  dealt  with  fully  here. 

EDUCATIONAL  STATUS 

The  educational  facilities  of  a  community  and 
the  racial  and  industrial  make  up  of  the  popula- 
tion determine  the  educational  status  which  should 
be  ascertained  for  the  purpose  of  comparing  the 
efficiency  of  the  school  system,  its  service  to  the 
community  and  the  educational  problem  presented 
by  the  foreign  elements.  The  facts  relating  to  the 
educational  status  are  of  statistical  nature  and  can 
[56] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

easily  be  ascertained  from  the  local  school  depart- 
ment and  the  State  or  Federal  Census.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  facts  to  be  ascertained: 

1.  What  is  the  number  of  adult  illiterate  in  the  community, 
by  age,  sex  and  place  of  birth? 

2.  What  is  the  number  of  foreign  born  persons  who  can- 
not read  or  speak  the  English  language,  by  sex  and  age? 

3.  What  is  the  number  of  pupils  in  the  public  schools  who 
finished  the  grammar  schools  course  and  the  number  of  pupils 
who  finished  the  first,  the  second,  the  third  and  the  fourth 
years  of  the  high  school? 

4.  What   is   the  number   of  pupils   who   finish   the   special 
schools    courses    provided    for   industrial    education    as    com- 
pared with  the  total  who  begin  such  training? 

The  above  four  questions  will  serve  as  a  measure 
of  the  work  of  the  public  schools  and  also  indicate 
the  task  that  is  still  to  be  performed  in  order  to 
make  illiteracy  impossible  and  the  privileges  of  the 
public  schools  of  the  most  general  service. 


[57] 


WELFARE  AGENCIES 

In  every  locality  there  are  certain  agencies  and 
organizations  which  through  continuous  and  self- 
sacrificing  efforts  are  endeavoring  to  counteract 
and  remedy  social  ills,  to  remove  conditions  pro- 
ducing social  waste  and  as  far  as  possible  to  promote 
the  development  of  the  community  along  perma- 
nent, constructive  lines. 

The  number  and  character  of  the  philanthropic 
agencies  in  a  community  should  be  an  index  of  the 
social  problem  in  such  a  community  if  private  phi- 
lanthropy, the  city  and  State  are  meeting  their  ob- 
ligations properly,  and  are  determined  to  avoid 
undue  social  leakage.  On  the  other  hand  the  effi- 
ciency of  philanthropic  agencies  in  meeting  the 
social  problems  before  them  is  the  only  sure  cri- 
terion of  the  type  of  service  rendered  and  is  the 
only  means  of  insuring  sufficient  and  efficient  serv- 
ice without  waste  to  the  public  or  loss  to  those  who 
are  directly  or  indirectly  affected  by  local  problems. 
Social  science  is  still  in  its  infancy  and  practical 
sociology  so  far  has  not  clearly  pointed  the  way  to- 
wards constructive  and  scientific  social  service; 
therefore,  the  origin  of  each  kind  of  welfare  agency 
can  not  always  be  traced  to  the  beginning  of  the 
[58] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

problem,  but  rather  to  a  spasmodic  and  sometimes 
temporary  awakening  of  the  public,  the  church  or 
the  state,  to  effects  rather  than  to  causes  of  evils. 
Many  of  the  social  remedies  applied  are  makeshifts 
and  palliatives  which  are  intended  as  a  temporary 
relief  to  the  evils  already  created,  rather  than  the 
prevention  of  the  conditions  which  produce  them. 
This  misconception  has  resulted  in  many  communi- 
ties in  a  considerable  number  of  ill  conceived  and 
poorly  organized  societies  and  organizations  which 
have  for  their  aim  the  relief  or  cure  of  social  evils 
without  regard  to  the  relation  of  these  evils  to  the 
whole  of  the  social  system,  and  much  of  the  work 
done  is  unscientific  and  wasteful. 

As  philanthropic  work  through  the  various  wel- 
fare agencies  is  the  foundation  upon  which  the 
remedial  work  of  the  community  rests  and  as  upon 
its  methods  and  results  depend  not  only  the  welfare 
of  the  poor,  but  the  peace  and  happiness  of  the 
whole  community,  it  is  important  to  consider  these 
agencies  as  minutely  as  possible. 

A  classification  of  charitable  and  philanthropic 
agencies  must  of  necessity  be  arbitrary,  and  hard 
and  fast  lines  are  as  difficult  to  draw  between  the 
activities  of  such  agencies  as  between  the  functions 
of  human  society.  The  classification  which  we  sug- 
gest in  this  bulletin  and  which  should  be  used  as  a 
guide  in  grouping  various  welfare  agencies  is  based 
upon  the  most  important  functions  of  such  agencies 
and  in  the  course  of  a  survey,  only  the  main  line 
[59]  " 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

of   service    should    be    considered.     The    following 
grouping  should  be  used  — 

1.  Charitable  relief,  including  all  agencies,  State, 
municipal  or  private,  whose  work  consists  in  aiding 
the  poor  through  material  relief. 

2.  Charitable  relief  with  religious  aim,  including 
relief    agencies    which    are    carrying    on    religious 
propaganda  in  connection  with  their  work. 

3.  The  group  "  homes  "  should  include  all  institu- 
tions which  provide  shelter  for  persons  of  various 
ages   who   are   wholly    or   partially    dependent   for 
their   support   on   these   institutions.     This    group 
should  include  homes  for  the  defectives,  for  the  aged 
and   the  homeless    feeble   minded,    crippled,    conva- 
lescents, as  well  as  such  institutions  as  provide  shel- 
ter for  which  they  receive  part  payment,  such  as 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  various  workingmen's  and 
working  girls'  homes. 

4.  Sanitary  relief  and  education  should  include 
the  agencies  which  deal  with  health,  such  as  various 
health     organizations,     hospitals,     anti-tdbreretilosis 
and  district  nurses  associations,  milk  stations  and 
other  agencies  of  similar  character. 

5.  Educational  and  social  centers  should  include 
settlements,  playgrounds,  special  schools,  museums 
and  lecture  service,  etc. 

6.  Protective  agencies  should  include  such  organ- 
izations as  interest  themselves  in  the  protection  of 
minors,  young  girls  and  animals. 

7.  Industrial  aid  includes   employment  agencies, 

[60] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

special  means  of  providing  temporary  employment, 
day  nurseries,  etc. 

8.  Civic  agencies  should  include  such  activities  as 
deal  with  the  improvement  of  local  conditions,  ac- 
tivities for  securing  legislation  involving  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community  and  other  militant  agencies 
whose  effort  is  of  a  social  character. 

In  some  communities  it  is  probable  that  other 
types  of  agencies  will  be  found  and  the  discretion 
of  the  committee  on  the  survey  should  be  resorted 
to  in  formulating  a  classification.  It  is  quite  cer- 
tain, however,  that  a  very  large  majority  of  the 
agencies  found  will  be  amenable  to  the  classification 
above  suggested. 

In  considering  the  efficiency  of  these  various 
agencies,  the  following  questions  should  be  asked 
in  connection  with  their  work : 

1.  What  are  the  sources  of  revenue? 

2.  Are    they    managed    by    the    Board    of    Directors,    or 
Trustees,  or  some  other  governing  body  appointed  or  elected? 

3.  Are  they  affiliated  with  some  other  organization  outside 
of  the  locality  and,  if  so,  in  what  way  and  how  closely  are 
they  connected? 

4.  What  is  the  total  expense  of  each  organization  and  how 
is  the  expense  distributed? 

5.  Are  accounts  properly  kept  and  audited  and  are  finan- 
cial reports  published  periodically? 

6.  Is  the  work  of  any  agency  duplicated  by  other  agencies 
and,  if  so  what  is  the  reason  for  this  duplication? 

7.  Are  annual  reports  published  stating  the  extent  of  the 
work,    methods    employed    and    future    needs    in    the    com- 
munity from  the  point  of  view  of  the  particular  agency  con- 
sidered? 

[61] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

8.  Are  paid  workers  employed  and,  if  so,  what  are  their 
salaries  and  what  proportion  of  their  time  do  they  give  to 
the  agency's  work? 

9.  V/hat  is  the  number  and  character  of  volunteer  workers 
used  by  various  agencies? 

10.  In  what  way  does  the  State  or  the  city  exercise  control 
over  the  agencies  which  they  assist  financially  and  what  are 
the  laws  concerning  such  control? 

11.  Are  funds  raised  by  paid  agents  and,  if  so,  what  was 
the  compensation  received  by  them  last  year? 

12.  What    is    the    extent    of   co-operation    between    various 
agencies  ? 

With  these  facts  ascertained,  it  would  be  quite 
easy  to  judge  of  the  efficiency  and  extent  of  the  field 
covered  by  the  agencies  acting  in  a  particular  lo- 
cality. The  study  of  the  welfare  agencies  will  also 
iacilitate  the  investigation  of  the  problem  of  pov- 
erty and  dependency  which  is  treated  in  the  next 
chapter. 


[62] 


POVERTY  AND  DEPENDENCY 

In  the  chapter  on  Industries  and  Wages  we  have 
dealt  extensively  with  the  industrial  problems  to 
be  considered  in  a  survey.  Logically  speaking,  the 
present  chapter  should  be  entitled  Economic  Con- 
ditions, but  the  treatment  of  this  subject  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  community  entails  so  many  lines 
of  inquiry  and  the  facts  are  so  scattered  and  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  that  it  seems  advisable  to  consider 
the  more  limited  aspects  of  economic  conditions, 
namely,  poverty  and  dependency,  which  are  the  most 
concrete  and  simplest  expressions  of  "  community 
economics."  Poverty  and  dependency  are  the  syn- 
thesis of  the  conditions  which  cause  our  social  mal- 
adjustment, particularly  industrial  inefficiency  and 
impotency.  They  are  the  fruits  of  our  social  lack 
of  foresight  and  of  the  wastefulness  of  our  human 
resources. 

Owing  to  the  absence  of  a  definite  line  of  de- 
marcation between  self  support  and  poverty,  and 
also  because  of  the  decided  difference  of  opinion  be- 
tween experts  as  to  the  necessary  wage  needed  for 
a  normal  standard  of  living,  all  consideration  of 
the  subject  of  poverty  and  dependency  will  have 
to  be  based  upon  the  facts  relating  to  persons 
[63] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

and  families  aided  by  charitable  agencies,  rather 
than  upon  the  number  of  persons  and  families  in 
need  of  aid.  The  investigation  dealing  with  actual 
aid  given  has  the  advantage  of  being  based  upon 
conditions  easily  ascertainable  and  concerning  which 
there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion,  except  as  to 
degree. 

The  subject  of  poverty  is  clearly  distinct  from 
that  of  dependency,  the  former  implying  financial 
conditions  which  require  aid  in  the  form  of  means 
of  subsistence,  while  the  latter  is  a  condition  of 
poverty  which  involves  not  only  lack  of  means  of 
subsistence,  but  such  other  physical,  moral  and  edu- 
cational care  as  is  generally  required  by  persons 
who  are  physically,  mentally  or  morally  defective 
or  feeble,  and  whose  care,  owing  to  their  economic 
conditions,  is  entrusted  to  special  institutions  and 
organizations  maintained  for  that  purpose. 

POVERTY 

To  discuss  the  cause  of  poverty  would  be  to  enter 
upon  an  extensive  study  of  our  whole  social  system, 
but  to  make  a  study  of  the  poor  of  a  community 
and  the  direct  causes  of  their  poverty  is  much  more 
within  the  scope  of  a  survey  such  as  is  here  sug- 
gested. The  facts  concerning  the  number  of  poor 
families  and  individuals  under  the  care  of  charitable 
agencies  can  be  easily  ascertained  from  the  records 
of  the  local  charitable  societies,  church  relief  or- 
ganizations and  other  relief  agencies. 
[64] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

In  the  study  of  poverty  and  its  causes  the  fol- 
lowing facts  should  be  ascertained: 

1.  What  is  the  number  of  families  and  individuals  receiving 
aid  in  the  community  and  in  the  case  of  the  families,  how 
many  persons  are  affected  by  such  aid?     (Inquire  into  the 
nationality  and  age,  sex  and  occupation  of  heads  of  families 
and  individuals  aided.) 

2.  What  are  the  relief  agencies  in  the  community  giving 
aid,  how  are  they  supported,  what  is  the  value  of  their  prop- 
erty, what  is  their  annual  expenditure,  how  are  their  expendi- 
tures distributed  between  relief,  salaries,  etc.,  how  many  paid 
workers  does  each  employ,  what  are  the  conditions  for  receiv- 
ing aid? 

3.  Can  evidence  be  secured  which  would  show  duplication 
of    effort    and    expenditures    through    the    treatment    of    the 
same  case  by  more  than  one  agency? 

4.  Does  the  local  government  maintain  a  poor  department 
and,  if  so,  what  is  its  total  annual  expenditure?    What  are 
the  requirements  for  aid,  what  is  the  number  of  individuals 
and  families  aided  during  the  last  fiscal  year  and  what  was 
the  character  of  the  aid  given? 

5.  Is   there   any   state  control   of  charitable  agencies"  and 
how  is  this  control  exercised? 

6.  What  is  the  total  expenditure  on  relief  per  year  by  all 
known   agencies  active  in  the  community? 

7.  What    relief    agencies    publish    annual    reports    and    clo 
these  reports  deal  with  the  causes  of  poverty,  the  necessary 
improvements  in  social  conditions  needed  for  the  prevention 
of  poverty,  etc.? 

8.  How  are  the  facts  concerning  the  necessity  and  kind  of 
aid  needed  ascertained  by  the  various  relief  agencies? 

9.  Do  charitable  relief  agencies  co-operate  with  each  other 
and,  if  so,  to  what  extent  is  co-operation  practiced? 

With  the  facts  relating  to  the   above  questions 
at  hand  and  the  experience  gained  in  securing  the 
information,  the  value  of  the  records   upon  which 
[65] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

they  are  based  will  be  more  accurately  estimated. 
A  classification  of  causes  of  poverty  may  be  pre- 
pared along  the  following  lines : 

1.  Cases  of  poverty  due  to  the  death  of  the  chief 
wage  earners. 

2.  Illness  or  old  age  of  the  chief  wage  earner. 

3.  Lack  of  employment  of  chief  wage  earners  or 
other  members  of  family  contributing  largely  to- 
wards family  support. 

4.  Irregularity  of  employment,  strikes,  lockouts, 
etc. 

5.  Insufficiency  of  earnings  for  family  needs. 

6.  Low  wages. 

7.  Absence  of  head  of  family  through  desertion 
or  imprisonment. 

8.  Drunkenness    or    other    vices    of    chief    wage 
earner  or  housekeeper. 

9.  Poor  management  due  to  ignorance. 

The  results  obtained  will  differ  in  different  com- 
munities and  in  order  to  add  value  to  the  classifi- 
cation of  cases,  additional  information  concerning 
the  nationality,  place  of  birth,  age  and  occupation 
of  the  beneficiaries  of  charitable  agencies  should  be 
added  to  the  general  classification  of  the  causes  of 
poverty.  This  additional  classification  will  add 
considerable  weight  to  the  mass  of  evidence  collected 
and  may  assist  in  determining  the  policy  of  chari- 
table societies  in  such  cases  as  the  necessity  for 
piecing  out  of  wages  where  the  chief  wage  earner 
is  able  bodied  and  capable  of  doing  a  good  day's 
[66] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

work,  but  is  underpaid ;  or  in  a  case  where  the  chief 
wage  earner  is  in  prison  working  for  the  State  and 
the  family  is  without  support. 

Throughout  the  investigations  of  poverty  it  must 
constantly  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  work  is  of 
little  value  without  a  consideration  of  the  industrial 
conditions  which  have  been  outlined  elsewhere. 

DEPENDENCY 

As  was  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter, 
dependency  means  a  condition  of  poverty  which, 
aside  from  the  lack  of  means  of  subsistence,  is 
caused  by  physical,  mental  or  moral  defects  or  de- 
ficiencies such  as  require  special  care  on  the  part 
of  some  organization  or  agency  to  which  the  care 
of  such  persons  is  entrusted.  The  facts  concerning 
such  persons  can  be  easily  ascertained  from  the 
records  of  local  and  state  institutions  entrusted  with 
their  care. 

The  facts  concerning  dependency  may  be  ascer- 
tained through  the  following  inquiry : 

1.  What  institutions,  private  and  public,  care  for  the  insane, 
crippled,    aged,    abandoned   or   orphan    children?     What    are 
the  conditions  for  admission  to  each  institution,  what  is  the 
cost    of   maintenance,   under   whose    auspices    are   they   con- 
ducted, how  are  funds  obtained? 

2.  What  is  the  total  number  of  inmates  in  each  institution 
and  if  a  State  or  county  institution,  what  is  the  number  of 
local  inmates? 

3.  What  efforts  are  being  made  in  each  institution  to  make 
the  inmates  self  supporting? 

[67] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

4.  How   many   have  been   discharged   within   the  last   five 
years  from  each  institution  who  have  become  self  supporting? 

5.  How  are  discharged  dependents  followed  up  after  their 
discharge? 

6.  Are   dependents   placed   in   private   families   and,  if  so, 
how  are  the  families  chosen  and  what  control  does  the  placing 
agency   have   over   the    families   with   whom   dependents    are 
placed? 

7.  Does    the    state    exercise    control    over    institutions    for 
dependents  and  in  what  manner  is  the  control  exercised? 

8.  Is  there  a  child  placing  agency  in  the  community  and, 
if  so,  what  is  the  scope  of  its  work? 

The  main  facts  concerning  the  number  of  de- 
pendents and  the  institutions  caring  for  them  may 
be  ascertained  through  the  office  of  the  State  Chari- 
ties Department  or  through  the  United  States  Cen- 
sus Office  which  keeps  a  record  and  publishes  facts 
concerning  such  institutions.  Details  concerning 
the  inmates  should  be  secured  from  the  institutions 
themselves. 

Poverty  and  Dependency  are  products  of  social 
maladjustment  and  their  consideration  is  only  sec^ 
ondary  in  a  general  study  of  social  conditions* 
The  industrial  problems,  the  efficiency  of  the  edu- 
cational system,  the  proper  health  and  housing  con- 
trol, the  amusement  facilities  and  their  character 
and  the  many  aspects  of  social  life  are  the  deter- 
mining factors  in  the  production  of  poverty  and 
to  them  the  main  attention  of  a  survey  should  be 
given.  The  existence  of  poverty  and  misery  should 
be  considered  only  an  index  of  the  intensity  and 
extent  of  social  maladjustment. 
[68] 


CRIME 

Within  the  last  two  decades  a  broad  and  scientific 
point  of  view  concerning  the  causes  and  prevention 
of  crime  has  affected  both  the  law  and  public  opin- 
ion. Anti-social  acts  are  not  looked  upon  in  the 
light  of  injury  done  to  the  community  or  to  in- 
dividuals, but  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  causes 
such  as  heredity,  environment,  ignorance  and  other 
conditions  that  conspire  to  produce  crime.  Peda- 
gogy and  mental  science,  economic  efficiency  and 
hereditary  tendencies  are  called  into  co-operation  in 
determining,  not  punishment,  but  a  method  of  treat- 
ment of  the  criminal  that  would  make  of  him  a  use- 
ful member  of  society  and  as  far  as  possible  remove 
the  causes  for  future  anti-social  acts.  In  other 
words,  crime  has  become  a  matter  of  social  responsi- 
bility in  the  same  degree  in  which  illiteracy,  indus- 
trial accidents  and  poverty  are  matters  of  social 
responsibility. 

The  line  of  distinction  between  the  degenerate, 
the  socially  inefficient  and  the  criminal  is  not  found 
in  the  character  of  one's  action,  but  in  the  treat- 
ment necessitated  to  meet  the  needs  of  such  indi- 
viduals, in  order  to  protect  society  against  them 
[69] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

and  remove  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  their  useful 
service  to  society  and  to  themselves. 

Criminal  law  and  the  machinery  provided  for  its 
enforcement  is  turning  its  face  from  punishment 
and  revenge  to  prevention  and  reform.  Legal  pro- 
visions with  hard  and  fast  lines  are  becoming  hu- 
manized and  their  application  is  becoming  a  prob- 
lem of  expert  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and 
social  conditions  rather  than  a  matter  of  learning 
in  the  laws.  With  these  tendencies  apparent  in 
many  of  the  modern  methods  of  dealing  with  crime 
it  is  important  to  consider  the  amount  of  criminal- 
ity existing  in  a  particular  community  from  this 
constructive,  economical  and  human  point  of  view, 
with  more  regard  to  the  application  than  the  con- 
tents of  the  law. 

JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY 
ENVIRONMENT 

Juvenile  delinquents  are  offenders  under  eighteen 
years  of  age  and  modern  practice  has  evolved  a 
new  and  distinct  system  of  dealing  with  this  type 
of  delinquent.  As  a  large  share  of  juvenile  de- 
linquency is  the  result  of  immediate  environmental 
conditions  and  as  the  offences  are  usually  of  a 
minor  character  it  is  advisable  to  deal  with  condi- 
tions surrounding  children,  which  have  been  shown 
by  experience  to  be  influential  in  producing  juvenile 
crime. 

[70] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

The  conditions  to  be  considered  are  generally  as 
follows : 

1.  Are  children  employed  in  street  trades,  what  is  the 
character  of  the  trades,  what  is  the  number  of  children  so 
employed,  their  ages,  sex  and  parentage? 

2.  What  legal  restrictions  are  placed  upon  children  em- 
ployed in  trades  and  how  are  these  legal  restrictions  en- 
forced ? 

3.  Are  children  under  fifteen  years  of  age  permitted  to 
work  in  shops  and  factories  with  adults  of  the  opposite  sex 
and  if  so  what  supervision  is  used  in  such  places? 

4.  Is   the   sale  of   liquor  and  cigarettes   to  minors  under 
police  control  and  how  are  the  regulations  enforced? 

5.  Are  children   permitted  to  work  at  night  in  factories 
and  street  trades  and  if  so  what  are  the  hours  and  conditions 
of  labor? 

6.  Is   obscene   literature   circulated   in   the   city   and   sold 
to  minors  and  if  so  how  and  where  is  the  literature  obtained, 
does  the  police  attempt  to  control  such  sales,  etc.? 

7.  At  what  age  are  minors  permitted  to  enter  theaters  and 
other  amusement  places  without  guardians? 

8.  Is  sex  hygiene  taught  in  the  public  schools  and  what  is 
the  system  in  use? 

9.  What   are   the   public   and   private   agencies   providing 
free  amusements   for  juveniles   and  are   they   so   distributed 
throughout  the  community  as  to  be  accessible  to  all  children 
in  need  of  such  amusements? 

10.  Are  the  services  of  a  child  protecting  agency  available 
in  the  community  and  if  so  what  is  the  legal  status,  the 
method  of  work  and  field  of  activity  of  such  agency? 

Although  throughout  the  above  list  of  questions 
only  problems  of  environment  are  considered,  the 
problems  of  heredity  and  the  physical  condition  of 
juveniles  should  constantly  be  kept  in  mind  in  deal- 
ing with  individual  cases,  both  before  and  after  of- 
fence has  been  committed. 

[71] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY    AND    COURT    PROCE- 
DURE 

The  offences  committed  by  juvenile  delinquents, 
the  number  of  offenders  in  institutions,  number  of 
repeaters  and  much  of  the  crime  committed  in  adult 
life  depend  upon  the  methods  employed  in  dealing 
with  young  offenders.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
considerable  attention  should  be  given  to  the  prob- 
lems of  preventing  juvenile  crime  and  redeeming 
through  proper  care  those  who,  owing  to  various 
causes,  have  come  under  the  care  of  the  courts. 

Some  of  the  questions  to  be  considered  in  this 
connection  are  as  follows : 

1.  Number  of  juvenile  delinquents   handled  in  the  com- 
munity   during   the   year   classified    by   sex,   age,   parentage, 
offence  committed  and  disposition  of  the  case  by  the  court. 

2.  Are  juvenile  cases  treated  by  the  court  in  special  ses- 
sions or  together  with  other  cases? 

3.  Is   a   particular   judge   appointed   or   selected   to    deal 
with  juvenile  cases  or  not? 

4.  Is  the  probation  system  in  use  and,  if  so,  who  is  in 
charge   of  the  probation  work,  how  many   probationers  has 
he  in   charge  and  how  many  paid   and  volunteer  assistants 
are  available  and  do  the  paid  probation  officers  give  all  their 
time  to  the  work? 

5.  What  is  the  proportion  of  probationers   for  the  year 
preceding  the  survey  who  have  not  been  rearrested  for  new 
offences    and   what   were   the   offences    for   which    they   were 
placed  on  probation? 

6.  Do  the  courts  work  in  co-operation  with   any  private 
agencies  in  the  care  of  the  children  brought  before  them  and 
if  so  what  is  the  legal  status  and  work  of  such  agencies? 

7.  Is  privacy  a  feature  in  the  juvenile  court  proceedings? 

8.  Is  parental  responsibility  for  crimes  of  juveniles  pro- 

[72] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

vided  for  by  law  and  if  not  does  the  court  take  account  of 
parental  neglect  in  treating  cases? 

9.  What  institutions  are  provided  for  the  confinement  of 
juvenile  delinquents;  what  is  the  number  of  local  inmates 
in  such  institutions,  what  are  their  offences  and  penalties? 

10.  Is  the  system  of  indetermined  sentence  and  parole  in 
use  in  juvenile  courts  and  institutions  and  what  proportion 
of  juveniles  so  treated  have  been  returned  to  institutions? 

11.  What  trades  are  taught  in  the  juvenile  institutions  and 
are  they  related  to  industries  carried  on  in  the  community? 

12.  Do  the  institutions  for  delinquents  whenever  practical 
place  their  discharged  inmates  in  paying  positions  and  what 
have  been   the   results   obtained   and   the   difficulties   encoun- 
tered in   this  work?     (Information   from  Superintendent   of 
Institution  and  Board  of  Charities.) 

13.  Are  truants   cared   for  in   institutions   for  delinquents 
or  in  some  separate  truant  or  parental  school? 

14.  Are  juveniles  detained  by  the  court  before  sentence  is 
pronounced  held  in  penal  institutions,  or  in  some  private  or 
public  detention  home? 


ADULT  CRIME 

Unlike  the  conditions  prevailing  in  the  case  of 
the  juvenile  offenders,  adult  crime  is  extremely  dif- 
ficult to  trace  to  its  causes  and  for  this  reason  the 
study  of  causes  of  adult  crime  will  not  be  consid- 
ered. It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  not 
all  offences  treated  by  the  courts  are  crimes  al- 
though they  may  be  punishable  by  law.  For  the 
purposes  of  such  a  survey  as  is  here  suggested  only 
offences  against  the  person  and  against  property 
should  be  considered,  while  petty  offences  against 
city  ordinances,  drunkenness,  etc.,  should  as  far  as 
possible  be  disregarded. 

[73] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

The  facts  concerning  crime  and  its  treatment 
may  be  ascertained  in  a  general  way  by  inquiring 
into  the  following: 

1.  What  is  the  total  number  of  persons  in  various  prisons 
and  jails  committed  in  the  locality,  what  are  their  offences, 
ages,  sex,  parentage  in  proportion  to  the  population  of  the 
locality  and  what  are  the  terms  they  are  serving? 

2.  How  many  persons  are  confined  because  of  failure  to 
pay  fines  imposed  upon  them  by  the  court  and  at  what  rate 
are  fines  paid  up  through  confinement? 

3.  Are   probation,   indetermined   sentence   and   the  parole 
systems   in  use  in  the  courts   and  prisons  and  if  so  under 
what  conditions  are  they  applied? 

4.  What    officials    are   in    charge   of   the   probation   work, 
what    amount    of   time    are    they    required   to    give   to    their 
duties,  how  many  probationers  are  being  cared  for  by  each 
probation  officer? 

5.  Do   prisoners,    such   as   drunkards   and   prostitutes,   re- 
ceive the  special  medical  care  they  need  while  in  confinement? 

6.  Are  professional  bondsmen  permitted  to  operate  in  the 
courts  and  what  are  their  methods? 

7.  Are  the  prisoners  in  the  various  institutions  taught  a 
trade  and  if  so  is  it  suited  to  the  needs  in  the  community, 
and  the  prisoner? 

8.  Is  contract  labor  carried  on  in  the  prisons  and  if  so 
what  is   the   character  of  the  goods  manufactured,  what  is 
the  pay  derived  from  the  labor  of  each  prisoner,  what  does 
the  community   pay   for  the  support  of  the  institution   and 
how  much  is  derived  from  the  contractor,  is  the  industry  a 
profitable  one  for  a  worker  in  the  free  market? 

9.  Do  the  prisoners  share  in  the  profits  derived  from  the 
contracts  and  to  what  extent,  if  not  what  amount  of  money 
do  they  receive  at  the  time  of  their  discharge? 

10.  Do    dependent    families    of   prisoners    receive    any    aid 
from  the  state  during  the  prisoner's  confinement? 

11.  What  is  the  total  annual  expense  for  the  maintenance 
of  police,  courts,  prisons,  as  well  as  the  total  annual  loss  of 
property  through  crime? 

[74] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

These  are  practical  questions  which  can  be  easily 
answered.  Problems,  such  as  feeding  of  inmates, 
the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  prison,  the  isolation 
of  contagious  diseases  —  such  as  tuberculosis  — 
education  of  prisoners,  etc.,  may  also  be  considered. 
A  thorough  inspection  of  the  prison  and  an  exam- 
ination of  the  daily  routine  will  be  found  profitable 
in  ascertaining  the  merits  and  demerits  of  a  prison 
system. 

This  ends  the  task  of  the  survey,  and  as  poverty 
and  crime  are  the  greatest  elements  of  human  and 
social  waste,  it  is  most  fitting  that  the  work  of  study- 
ing the  community  should  end  here  and  the  facts  be 
squarely  faced. 


[75] 


CONCLUSION 

In  the  foregoing  pages  little  has  been  suggested 
that  cannot  easily  and  accurately  be  ascertained  if 
sufficient  time  and  active  workers  are  available. 
The  aim  throughout  has  been  not  to  burden  the 
work  with  technical  problems,  but  rather  to  aid 
in  the  formation  of  a  clear  general  conception  of 
existing  social  conditions  and  their  causes,  while 
indirectly  suggestions  have  been  made  here  and 
there  as  to  possible  improvements  based  upon  the 
facts  collected.  If  the  survey  succeeds  in  doing 
nothing  beyond  creating  a  community  conscious- 
ness, based  upon  facts  gathered  by  a  reliable  body 
of  representative  citizens,  it  will  have  laid  the  foun- 
dation for  future  public  action  which  is  bound  to 
bear  the  fruits  of  this  knowledge  of  conditions. 

It  is  important,  however,  that  the  work  of  the 
surveying  committee  should  not  end  with  the  knowl- 
edge of  facts,  but  that  a  definite  constructive  pro- 
gram of  public  action  be  formulated  which  should 
include  every  phase  of  community  life  studied  and 
affect  every  important  aspect  of  the  social,  politi- 
cal and  industrial  life  of  the  people. 
[76] 


APPENDIX 

SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION 

A  large  share  of  the  labor  connected  with  the 
gathering  and  organizing  of  the  material  of  a  social 
survey  depends  upon  the  ability  of  the  workers  to 
find  the  most  reliable,  the  most  comprehensive 
and  the  most  accessible  sources  of  information. 

The  main  types  of  information  aside  from  the 
direct  individual  investigation  of  specific  conditions, 
may  be  divided  into  five  groups  as  follows:  Sta- 
tistical Data,  Legal  Provisions,  Application  of  the 
Law  by  enforcing  bodies,  Finances  and  Specific 
Methods  employed  in  other  communities  in  making 
surveys. 

A.  Statistical  Data.  Statistical  data  may  be  se- 
cured from  official  and  unofficial  sources.  The 
main  official  sources  are  as  follows: 

a.  State   and   Federal    Census,    taken    every    ten 
years    and    alternating    each    other    by    five    years. 
Many  States  take  a  census. 

b.  For    records    concerning    births,     marriages, 
deaths,  etc.,  the  reports  of  the  Health  Department 
should   furnish   information.     The   Bureau    of   the 
Census    also    publishes    the   figures    concerning   the 
deaths  and  causes  of  deaths  in  the  United  States 

[77] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

at  least  for  the  States  in  which  the  registration  of 
deaths  is  required.  These  figures  are  valuable  for 
purposes  of  comparing  local  conditions  with  condi- 
tions elsewhere. 

c.  The  court  records,  the  records  and  reports  of 
prisons,  the  reports  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities, 
and  the  reports  of  special  commissions  dealing  with 
crime  are  the  best  sources  for  statistics  on   crime. 
The  Federal  Census  publishes  the  statistics  on  crime 
every  ten  years  and  they  are  particularly  valuable 
for  purposes  of  comparison.     The  last  report  cov- 
ers the  conditions  for  the  year  1904. 

d.  For  industrial  statistics  use  the  Federal  Cen- 
sus, the  report  of  the  Factory  Inspector,  the  Com- 
missioner of  Labor,  the  State  Census  and  reports 
of  various  bodies  dealing  officially   with   industrial 
conditions  such  as  employment  bureaus,  boards  of 
trade,  etc. 

e.  Statistics  on  education  may  be  found  in  the 
Federal  Census,  School  Censuses,  reports  on  School 
Attendance,   Illiteracy,   etc.,   and  also   in  the  local 
school   reports,   the   reports    of   the   United   States 
Commissioner    of    Education,    the    State    Commis- 
sioner of  Education,  and  the  publications  of  special 
commission  on  education  or  subjects  having  a  rela- 
tionship to  education. 

Aside  from  the  official  reports  considerable  valu- 
able information  can  often  be  obtained  by  letter. 
Officials  are  generally  very  glad  to  give  information 
concerning  their  department  and  are  eager  to  re- 
[78] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

spond  to  public  interest  in  their  work.  If  the  let- 
ters are  clear  and  the  questions  to  the  point,  few 
officials  would  refuse  to  answer  them  promptly  and 
accurately. 

The  Federal  and  State  reports  may  be  obtained 
either  directly  through  the  departments  or  through 
the  local  representative  who  can  see  personally  that 
the  documents  are  sent  to  the  proper  destination. 

Before  other  steps  are  taken  in  most  matters  re- 
lating to  the  securing  of  statistics  it  is  well  to  con- 
sult the  State  and  Federal  Censuses. 

A.  Unofficial  statistics  on  social  problems  may  be 
derived  from  the  following  sources: 

a.  Reports   and  records   of  philanthropic   agen- 
cies. 

b.  Pay-rolls    and    reports    of    various    industrial 
establishments. 

c.  Reports  of  private  commissions  and  other  pri- 
vate investigating  agencies. 

d.  Reports  of  Banks  and  Insurance  Companies. 

e.  Reports  of  Business  Agencies. 

B.  Legal  information  based  upon  Federal,  State 
and  local  legislation  may  be  obtained  by  consulting 
the  following: 

a.  The  Statutes  of  the  Federal  Government. 

b.  General  Laws  of  the  State. 

c.  Special  State  Laws  relating  to  the  locality  or 
to  all  localities  of  the  same  class. 

d.  City  Charter. 

e.  City  Council  Ordinances,  Board  of  Aldermen 

[79] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

and  Health  Board  and  Police  Department  Rules  and 
Regulations. 

f.  Regulations  formulated  by  various  depart- 
ments in  accordance  with  powers  vested  in  these 
departments  by  law. 

In  case  persons  with  legal  training  are  not,  avail- 
able for  this  work,  it  is  advisable  to  communicate 
with  the  Secretary  of  State,  City  Solicitor,  City  or 
Town  Clerk,  Heads  of  Departments  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  the  exact  wording  of  the  laws, 
and  if  the  laws  have  been  secured  by  the  committee 
it  is  advisable  to  submit  them  to  the  above  officials 
for  purposes  of  verification.  In  many  States  the 
State  Library  has  a  Legislative  Reference  Bureau 
which  can  furnish  accurate  information  on  legis- 
lative and  administrative  matters  concerning  the 
State  or  the  municipalities  of  the  State. 

c.  The  methods  of  organization  and  administra- 
tion of  various  public  departments,  although  pro- 
vided for  by  law,  are  often  complicated  and  the  law 
so  interpreted  as  to  make  an  understanding  of  the 
functions  and  methods  of  the  departments  difficult 
to  understand.  It  is  well,  therefore,  to  consult 
heads  of  departments,  commissioners,  executive  sec- 
retaries of  various  boards  and  other  officials  as  to 
the  actual  workings  of  the  departments.  The  an- 
nual reports  of  such  department  should  always  be 
secured  and  examined  for  the  purpose  of  formu- 
lating definite  questions  to  be  asked  before  consult- 
ing the  officials. 

[80] 


Suggestions     for     Social     Surveys 

D.  Cost  of  maintenance  and  the  use  of  funds  is 
so  important  a  factor  in  a  survey  that  the  examina- 
tion of  receipts  and  expenditures  should  be  made 
whenever  possible,  by   a  person  familiar  with  the 
handling  of  accounts.     For  the  expenditures  of  the 
State,  county  and  city,  the  budgets  which  are  al- 
most always  published  should  be  studied  with  a  view 
to  discovering  whether  the  records  are  kept  up  to 
date,  in  a  scientific  and  accurate  manner,  whether 
funds  provided  for  one  type  of  work  are  used  for 
other  and  unauthorized  purposes,   whether   proper 
evidence  of  legitimacy  of  the  various  expenditures 
is  required,  etc.     In  all  this  work  the  reports  of  the 
department  and  examination  of  the  accounts  kept 
in  the  office  should  form  an  integral  part  of  a  cost 
survey. 

In  the  case  of  private  agencies  most  of  the  in- 
formation desired  in  connection  with  the  best  organ- 
ized work,  will  be  found  in  the  annual  reports.  The 
methods  applied  to  the  public  offices  should  be  ap- 
plied to  the  private  agencies  whenever  possible. 

E.  General  information  not  to  be  found  in   re- 
ports or  from  consultation  with  officers  and  work- 
ers will  in  all  probability  have  to  be  derived  from 
investigations  of  actual  conditions.     Before  under- 
taking such  investigations,  it  is  most  desirable  that 
all  the  public   officials,   social  workers   and   officers 
connected   with  the   various    agencies   in   the    com- 
munity, and  the  persons,  who,  through  their  occu- 
pation or  interest  have  had  occasion  to  come  into 

[81] 


Knowing    One's    Own    Community 

contact  with  the  conditions  to  be  examined,  should 
be  consulted.  Such  consultation  will  reduce  the 
work  by  securing  the  interest  of  a  large  circle  of 
informed  persons  who  may  also  point  out  ways  and 
means  of  getting  at  the  facts  without  difficulty  or 
delay. 


[82] 


SOCIAL  SERVICE    BULLETIN 

(For  the  first  eleven  titles  in  this  series  see  inside 
front  cover  oj  this  Bulletin.) 

No.  12.    The  Democracy  of  the  Kingdom.    By 

Rl.  Rev.  Charles  D.  WUliams,  D.D. 
The  church  must  stand  for  men  simply  as  men. 
No.  13.     Bad  Housing  and  What  it  Means  to 
the  Community.     By  Albion  Fellows  Bacon, 
The  effect  of  slum  life  on  physical  and  moral  health. 
No.  14.       City      Building     in    Germany.       By 

Frederic  C.  Howe. 

Art,  foresight,  and  common-sense  in  city  development. 
No.  15.    Religious  Work  and  Opportunity  in 

Country  Towns. 

The  Report  of  a  Committee  of  Investigation. 
No.   16.     Comprehensive  Planning    for    Small 

Towns  and  Villages.     By  John  Nolen. 
How  to  prevent  mistakes  in  the  growth  of  towns. 
No.  17.     The   Inter-relation    of   Social   Move- 
ments.    By  Mary  E.  Richmond. 
Shows  how  different  social  movements  are  connected. 
No.  18.     Vocational       Guidance.         By    Meyer 

Bloomfield. 

An  effort  to  fit  youth  for  their  life  work. 
No.  19.    The  Improvement  of  the  Rural  School. 

By  Harlan  Updegratf. 

The  benefit  to  country  life  of  the  socialized  school. 
No.  20.     Knowing  One's  Own  Community.    By 

Carol  Aronovici. 

Suggestions  for  social  surveys  of  small  cities  and  towns. 
No.  21.     Social  Service  for  Young  People  in  the 

Church  School.     By  Clara  Bancroft  Beatley. 
The  social  interest  of  young  people  developed  by  service. 
No.  22.      The  Church  at   Work.      By  Elmer  S. 

Forbes. 

Discusses  parish  organization  for  social  work. 
No.  23.    Social  and  Civic  Centers.     By  Edward 

J.  Ward. 

Concerned  with  the  larger  use  of  public  school  buildings 
No.  24.     A  Rural  Experiment.    By  Ernest  Bradley. 
A  study  of  the  recreation  of  a  country  community. 

(For  the  remaining  i  -i  see  outside 

back  cover  oj  this  Bulletin.) 

Order  by  number  only,  not  by  title. 


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